


BOOK 1 - Twilight: Caylie Cullen

by anitthat



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: #Finished, Angels, F/M, Quileutes, Sex, Vampires, Wolves, mature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-06 22:24:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 33,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14066880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anitthat/pseuds/anitthat
Summary: There's a new Cullen and no one is quite sure what she is. With a mix of never before seen abilities and attributes that seem more than just vampire-like, Caylie Cullen is an absolute enigma. With the help of her adoptive family, Caylie hopes to uncover who she truly is. However, this path of self-discovery is tinged with dangers from another world as she comes closer and closer to the truth.





	1. Chapter 1

PROLOGUE

Bella gently pressed down into the ground and leaped a full 30-feet forward. The pale white dress that grazed her knees billowed slightly around her as she sailed through the air. From the elevated height, she could see Edward running at full pelt, gracefully dodging trees and low-hanging branches. She landed softly and accelerated. In the 5 years that they had been married, she had never once been able to beat Edward in a foot race. As far as she knew, no other vampire had ever been able to. But Bella never got tired of trying.

She sped past trees, a clearing and the remnants of the rock that Emmett had once pounded to bits when his team had lost a game of baseball. She was catching up to Edward - she could see the sunlight reflecting off his skin.

With a burst of speed, Bella pressed her shoes into the ground, simultaneously creating mini-potholes in the earth. She tore past Edward and let out a victorious cackle.

I finally did -

She felt a rush of wind on her right. She briefly saw Edward's wickedly smiling face before he disappeared again.

"I love you for trying, baby!" he said. Bella sighed. Oh well. At the very least, she always won when it mattered.

She reached the foot of the cliffs. They towered above her and everything else in the forest. If it wasn't for her vampire eyesight, she wouldn't have been able to see the setting sun.

Twilight was approaching - her favourite time of day. It was time to hunt. There was usually a mountain goat or two resting somewhere on the cliffs. Twice, both she and Edward had even dined on a mountain lion. They were particularly delicious and kept them full for longer periods of time.

"Come on up, baby! The view is beautiful" Edward's voice tickled her ear.

She scaled the wall, careful to ensure that her dress didn't get torn anywhere. It was another creation a la Alice and she had no wish of inciting her wrath when she got home. Again.

Edward's arms were around her waist as soon as she cleared the top. He held her close and together they watched as the horizon swallowed the sun. The fading light bounced off their skin. Bella was entranced by the colour that filled the sky. In her human life, she had only ever seen traces of orange and red in the sky. But with the full vampire-package upgrade, she saw so much more. There were tinges of violet and blue. They intertwined with the reds and the oranges and the overall effect was nothing short of spectacular. The symphony of colour lasted for just under a minute and the moment it was over, Bella closed her eyes wanting to commit it to memory.

She felt Edward push his lips against hers. She smiled and gently kissed him back. His fingers twined in her long black hair. Her hands played with the grooves on his back. She slipped a hand under his shirt and caressed the small of his back. He moaned into her mouth and pushed her backwards till she was leaning against a tree trunk. She flicked her finger up the front of his shirt, undoing all the buttons at once and pressed herself into his chest. Their kissing intensified and Bella groaned as he moved his hand up her thigh -

They broke apart and looked at each other intently. They had both heard it. A little whimper and a gentle rustling. The wind blew towards them, carrying a scent that Bella didn't recognize. It smelt slightly heady and sweet. It was a strange mix. Bella turned to Edward, wondering if he could smell it.

"I've never smelled that before. That's definitely no animal or werewolf. What is that?"

"I don't know baby...to be honest it smells like you."

Bella looked at him startled. "Like me?" Is that really what I smell like? Maybe Alice was right about the perfume...

"Yes. Like your skin, your blood. When we first met."

Bella's eyes widened even further. She remembered how Edward had explained the way her blood had called to him. She had been told by multiple vampires that her blood had a floral scent to it - but there was nothing remotely floral about the scent filling her nostrils.

"Baby, I'm not picking up on -"

The rustling happened again. Crouching down, they silently made their way towards it. The closer they got, the stronger the scent got. There is absolutely nothing floral about that. What is he picking up on?

They were moving up a steep incline that ended at a sharp point. With every step forward, the ground below them got narrower and narrower. Till finally, Bella's feet barely fit. Right at the tip, there were leaves artfully arranged. It was clear that no stray wind had blown them together - they had been placed there. The leaves formed a perfect sphere.

The ball wobbled ever-so-slightly.

"I should destroy it" Edward muttered under his breath.

"What - no! We have no idea what's inside it."

"This doesn't bode well, Bella. I can feel it."

"Anything that can fit in such a small space can't do us much harm. I need to see what it is, Edward. I know you do too."

"Whatever is inside is intelligent, Bella. I am getting...thoughts. But I can't make heads or tails of it...the images are incoherent...like the frequency is off."

Bella frowned at her husband. Well, there's only one way to find out. She inched past Edward and moved towards the leafy sphere. She crouched down and for safety's sake, she extended her shield. It pushed out from the crown of her head like a rubber band and she felt Edward's light come under it.

"Be safe, baby."

'I will', she thought, knowing that he would be able to hear it.

Bella's hands gently pushed the leaves aside. They were so intricately woven together that she had to use a little strength to break the top half of the sphere. Gently, she removed it and tossed it back toward Edward.

Bella looked down into the remaining half and went still. Her shield snapped back as she lost focus.

Edward flew to her side. "I didn't catch that entirely. What do you mean a baby?"

Bella pointed down into the sphere.

Lying in more leaves and covered tenderly in a thick brown blanket was a chubby baby girl. She had thick blonde hair and was gently sucking on her tiny thumb as she slept. She must have been dreaming because she kicked her legs sporadically, causing the leaves to rustle.

Finding a baby was strange enough. Stranger still was the undeniable fact that the baby was clearly a vampire. Bella could see it in her skin and in the way she was just absolutely perfect and a little too graceful for an infant. 

"I - I don't understand. Who would do this? Abandon a baby? Especially a vampire baby? Do they not understand the damage they could do to us - to other people?" Edward hissed. His hands were balled into fists and Bella knew that he was thinking of the immortal children. They were human children who had been turned by older female vampires who created their own children because they were unable to have their own.

Bella bent down to pick up the baby. She was beautiful - just as beautiful as Renesmee had been.

"Careful, Bella. You don't want to fall under its trance. We should just destroy it. I can light a fire and we can be done with this whole mess", Edward hissed.

Bella looked from the sleeping infant in her arms to her husband. His mouth was pressed into a firm line and his body was rigid. Bella knew that his repugnance stemmed from the idea of an older vampire stagnating the life of a child even before it reached full maturity. She knew that only a very sad or disturbed individual will do something like this to an innocent child. But she couldn't fathom why Edward would be so ready to harm something so delicate and beautiful.

She touched his arm and Edward started, breaking out of a haze. "Edward. We are taking her to Carlisle. He will know what to do."

Edward looked at the baby for a long while. Bella waited patiently for her husband to come to the correct conclusion. With a nod, he took her arm and they shot home to the Cullens.


	2. What other gifts?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caylie ditches school and overhears a conversation between Carlisle, Bella and Edward.

Chapter 1

"Bye dad!" I heard Nessie say as I hopped out the car. I heard her give him a kiss on the cheek as I looked up at the building before me. The dreary look of the high school was saved by the creepers that clung to its face so prettily. It almost looked like the surrounding forest was trying to camouflage the school.

I lightly tapped the door of the vehicle shut as Nessie got out. Slamming doors never went well for me. They usually caved into the car and were almost impossible to explain when taken to the mechanic. In the end, Edward had to learn how to become a mechanic on his own in order to avoid the unnecessary questions. The resulting lectures from him had been ear-grating.

I honestly had no idea what he was complaining about. Learning how to fix-up cars had taken him all of 3 days. 3 days in his lifetime came up to about half-a-second in a normie's life. I mean, really. What was he losing here?

Edward tells Nessie to have a good day and to be safe. The same thing he tells her every day. It was a salutation he has never bothered to give me. There was very little love lost between me and Ed-the-Dad.

Nessie puts her arm around me and starts dragging me towards school. "You have to come in today!" she hissed at me. "I can't keep covering for you! It can't be that you get sick in the school parking lot EVERYDAY. Yesterday, Mr. Webbs asked me if you were allergic to gravel.

I cackled. "What did you say?"

"I said you very well could be. I was this close to receiving detention", she said holding her index finger and thumb barely an inch apart.

I snorted. Nessie had never received detention. Ever. Not in this high school or in the two that she had attended before this. She probably never would. Teachers found it impossible to be anything but kind to her. Nessie's gifts all had to do with communication. It had been the case from birth. She had been able to project her memories, thoughts, emotions, perspectives and feelings into another's mind just by touching them. It had been an extremely important tool in saving the Cullens and their friends form the Volturi all those years ago.

As time went on and she grew into a young woman, people never stopped being sweet to Nessie. She thought it was because she was nice to everyone and that they were merely mirroring her intentions.

But I knew that just wasn't true. Nessie's gifts had simply expanded. People always treated her with nothing but absolute kindness - even the ones who were never nice to anyone else. I had brought this up to Edward once, in the years when I was still trying to win him over. But he had simply ignored my suggestion.

"Please, Cay," she begged, looking at me with her big brown eyes. "School is so much more fun with you around."

Nessie had mom's eyes. They were eyes I had always found impossible to lie or say no to. Those eyes had never looked at me with anything but love and affection - even when I didn't quite deserve it.

Thankfully, it was easier to say no to those eyes when they were in Nessie's head and not mom's. 

I hugged Nessie just as the last bell rang. The lot was empty. "See you at home," I said before disappearing into the greenery around us.

***

I reached the top of the cliff before homeroom would have even started. I took a sip of water from my bottle and chomped on a banana while I paged through my journal.

I had kept one for as long as I could remember. It helped me organize my thoughts and dump out my feelings. There was no hiding within those pages. The journals were probably my best friend. The thought made me a little sad.

I leaned my head back against the tree and looked up at the leaves. I could see the sky winking at me between the leaves. The sight of it soothed my nerves. The sky had always made me feel safe.

Focus - I told myself.

I opened my journal to a fresh page and very industriously began to write with my pencil when the tip broke off. Holding it up to eye level, I looked at the carbon tip of the pencil in surprise. I had never thought to carry extras. What was I going to do now?

With a sigh, I shoved the journal and the banana peel back into my bag. I would have to get a new pencil, which meant going home early. Which meant that someone would see that I hadn't gone to school. Which meant I was going to get lectured at.

I looked at the cliff's point in front of me for a beat before running home. It was extremely narrow. I doubted if anyone could even stand there comfortably - vampire or otherwise. Just as I turned the corner that led to the road that stretched all the way to the Cullen Compound - as I liked to call it - I heard a deep familiar voice.

Carlisle! Shit. What do I say? What do I do?

There was a massive Coast Douglas Fir tree right behind me. I shot up the trunk, my hands easily finding purchase on the rough bark and nestled into the thickest leaves. They hid me well. Hopefully, the smell from the leaves and the tress would hide my scent too.

Carlisle came into view. It was strange that he wasn't in the hospital. Helping people had been Carlisle's aim in life for as long as he had been around. He was walking with Edward and Mom. The three of them were deep in conversation. I closed my eyes and focused in on what they were saying.

"She turns 18 in a week. We still have no idea what the extent of her abilities are. We have no idea if she's aware of them herself", Edward was saying with a rough tone.

"We know some of them at least", Mom was saying. "She's displayed a fair few on her own. They've been holding true with the legends so far. There's no indication to deviate from them."

"Yes but the legends are unfinished. No one, no vampire has seen anything like Caylie in millennia. It worries me. She doesn't even know what she is -", Edward was saying.

"What she may be", Carlisle interjected. "There is no evidence yet, no real proof. For all we know, Caylie could just be an extremely gifted vampire."

"You know she isn't. My inability to tap into her mind is a huge indicator. I can almost see the thoughts but not quite. Till today, it just seems like she's on a different frequency. It's like Alice with the wolves. They become a blind spot. She's just the same."

"Except she isn't a wolf. Remember what Jake said?"

"I know. She isn't a Quileute and she doesn't have their scent. At least, not a scent that we all agree on," Edward mumbled under his breath.

"Plus, there's the vampire speed, strength, agility and supersonic hearing unaccounted for."

"Yes but she doesn't drink blood, Bella."

"She doesn't not drink it. She just prefers human food. And to be honest, who can blame her. Do you have any idea how much I miss pizza?"

I had to stifle a giggle. Over 20 years into her vampire life and Mom still had a lot of humanity left in her. She didn't think of herself as funny but I found her hilarious.

Edward ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly. It still looked pretty good after all the ruffling. Didn't he ever get tired of being so annoyingly perfect? I always wondered how he didn't get sick of himself.

"What about the gifts that aren't accounted for? What about the complete impenetrability of her skin? What about the fact that we can't pull out a single hair from her head. Or that our teeth and our nails can't cut her skin? What about the fact that her heart beats impossibly slow? We have no idea what she is or if there are more like her. And if we don't know that, how can we ever hope to protect ourselves against her?"

It was a good thing I had pulled the branches around me close - they held me in place and kept me from crashing through the branches and making a spectacle of myself. I repeated Edward's words in my head. How can we ever hope to protect ourselves against her - I knew he didn't like me but it made me sick thinking that he thought that way of me. I would never hurt any of the Cullens. They were the closest thing to family I had. It was true that I sometimes felt disconnected from them but I had always and will always appreciate their unfailing kindness.

Carlisle had been walking beside my adoptive parents quietly while they went back and forth.

"The least we can do while we wait to see if anything at all happens, is to eliminate what Caylie is definitely not. We know for a fact that she cannot possibly be a wolf. We know that she's at least part vampire given the fact that she can subsist on blood even though she doesn't quite like the taste of it. Which brings us to the conclusion that she has to be a hybrid of some sort. The question is - what were her biological parents?"

"If she is a hybrid, she's unlike anything that's ever been seen. Even with Renesmee Alice found others like her. Its been almost18 years and there hasn't even been a whisper of anything like Caylie."

"Anyone like Caylie", Bella whispered, playing with her locket between her fingers.

Edward threw Bella a frustrated look. 

"At least she isn't aware of her other gifts. We have puberty to thank for that," Carlisle said with a small smile. "Esme thinks we should tell her. She thinks preparation is key here and the one who should be most prepared is Caylie. Plus, she worries about what this deluge of information could do to her psyche."

My psyche? What other gifts? What in the hell are they talking about?

At that moment, a strong gust of wind hit the tops of the trees. It spread the branches of the Coast Douglas Fir far apart and in a move that would bring nothing but shame to my vampire-self, my footing slipped. I went crashing down 200-feet to the ground below. Branches broke and leaves invaded my mouth. My glasses - ones I always wore but never needed - snapped in two. I braced for impact though I knew it wouldn't hurt. The ground came rushing up towards me but instead of crashing, I felt my body get lighter. Instead of creating a life-size hole in the ground, I was placed almost gently onto the ground. It felt like a pair of wings had taken over and guided me into making the softest of landings.

What in the hell - I thought for the second time that day.

I looked up at my adoptive parents and grandfather from the ground. They were standing a good distance from me but I could taste their shock and disapproval. I launched to my feet, wanting to apologise.

Edward was suddenly in front of me. He grabbed me by the front of my top and pushed me hard into the massive Fir.

"Have you been eavesdropping this whole time?" he hissed.

Mom appeared in between Edward and me. He immediately let me go and turned away as if embarrassed. Mom turned to me with a frantic look in her eye and started brushing bits of bark off me. She hugged me close and then stepped away, looking me square in the eye.

"Caylie Micah Cullen. Why aren't you in school?"

"Uh...I felt sick."

"You haven't been sick a day in your life. Why aren't you in school?"

"Uh..."

Carlisle saved me from having to answer. "I'm afraid that's going to have to wait, Bella. Come, Caylie. It is time we had a talk."


	3. Okay...what exactly are you getting at

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caylie, Carlisle, Bella and Edward have an honest conversation.

Carlisle's office resembled a library more than anything else. There were books on literally every surface of the room. There was a beautiful deep green armchair next to the window that had at least twenty books stacked neatly on it. There were books on his desk. Books on the coffee table. Books on the couch he told me to sit on. There were a pile of books on the tiny end table with a vase of fresh flowers perched on top. And of course, there were the bookshelves - huge oak made shelves that stretched from floor to ceiling. All of the books were leather bound and well worn. I had no doubt that some of them were older than Carlisle himself.

Mom sat down next to me and rubbed my knee. I had the sudden distinct feeling that the adults were wary of how I would receive the information I was about to be given.

"Caylie," Carlisle began.

The door flew open. "You're not doing this without me", Edward directed at Mom and Carlisle.

Without missing a beat, Carlisle continued.

"As you know, your birth has always been shrouded in mystery. Bella and Edward brought you here and took you in because it was clear from the moment they saw you that you were a vampire. When it was obvious that you weren't an immortal child, we just assumed you were like Renesmee - half-human and half-vampire."

Carlisle paused here. He handed me the plain manila file he had just taken off his desk. The label read Renesmee Cullen and it was extremely thick. Inside were pages and pages of notes, beginning from when Mom was still pregnant with her and right up to the present moment. There were pictures and neatly typed notes and hastily scribbled post-its. The index page in the front was dated neatly and ran on for 5 pages. The amount of time Carlisle had put into understanding Nessie's growth and development was astonishing. 

I flipped to a page where Carlisle had neatly drawn a table that indicated the date, time and Nessie's height. I flipped to the next page where two pictures had been neatly taped on a piece of paper side-by-side. The first picture was of an infant and the other was of a little girl who looked to be at least 4 years old. However, the pictures were taken only 6 months apart. It was startling to see the changes in these two pictures. It made me wonder about my own development.

I shut the file and put it on the table.

"You said you assumed I was like Nessie. Are you implying that I am not?"

"There are some surface similarities between the two of you. You're both exceedingly warm to the touch. The two of you developed quickly and your hearts beat. Neither of you produce venom - which means that neither of you will be able to turn others into vampires. Both you and Renesmee can survive on human food as well as blood and I do believe that you will stop aging much like she did."

Carlisle paused for a beat before continuing.

"However, there have been some astonishing differences. When you were first brought here, I wanted to record your development much like I did with Renesmee. That meant that I needed saliva swabs and hair samples - maybe even draw some blood. But no matter how hard I or Edward or Bella or Esme or anyone tried, we could not remove a single hair from your head. At all - and you were just a baby and we were all fully grown vampires."

Carlisle walked over to a wooden cabinet that revealed more files and books and notepads inside. As Carlisle rifled through it, Mom started talking.

"So we figured that the easiest way forward was with a saliva swab. Cotton wool rubbed against the inside of your cheek and we'll be done. You were most responsive to me so I thought I should do it. But no matter how hard I tried, I just could not extract any of your saliva. It was the strangest thing. We tried for days, sweetie. Days. But nothing worked. We tried to draw blood - vamp style, of course. Carlisle used his nail to puncture Nessie's skin and take blood out that way. That method just did not work for you. Even Emmett tried to puncture your skin - but you were completely... impervious to anything we tried."

I thought about how I must have looked as a baby in Emmett's arms. Emmett was huge. A walking vampire-tank. I must have been no bigger than his palm. The idea of him not being able to puncture my skin was insane. I mean, I had seen the man uproot 300-foot tall Fir trees when Esme wanted the front yard redecorated.

The room was silent. I could feel their eyes boring into me. I knew at this point Edward would have given away the name of his best hair care product just so he could read my mind.

"Okay..." I said. "What exactly are you getting at?"

I saw Mom looking intently at Carlisle, clearly wanting him to continue the conversation.

"You know some of us have special abilities. As humans we carried certain talents that were potent enough to be strengthened and then manifested into our vampire lives. Edward has his mind reading. Bella has her shield. Alice has her precognition and Jasper has his pathokinesis."

My stomach rumbled unexpectedly. Subsisting on human food meant that I had to keep regular mealtimes like an average person. It also meant that I was one of the two people in the house who used the dining table with any regularity.

Mom rose from the couch. "I'll get you something to eat, sweetie."

"Thanks Mom."

Carlisle opened his mouth to speak again but I interjected, "Carlisle please. I don't understand why you are telling me all this. Renesmee has abilities too but she was never fully human. I don't understand how all this relates to me. So if you could just say it - "

"Caylie, Carlisle will get to it. But you need to be patient. There is a point to all this. Just - just listen", Edward barely whispered. His eyes were closed. Probably because looking at me caused him far too much pain.

Since he still hadn't apologized for trying to make me make-out with a tree, I felt no need to listen to him.

"I just want to know - "

"Just listen, will you."

"I know all this but what does it have to do with me. Just tell - "

"He's trying to! Let him finish!"

"Finish telling me what? The sooner you tell me, the sooner you will stop having to look at me. Shouldn't that serve as some motivation - especially for you?" I shot at Edward.

Edward looked at me in surprise. Before he could say anything else, Carlisle was sitting on the table in front of me and whispering a sentence that I never quite thought I would hear.

"We don't know what you are, Caylie."


	4. I just can't catch a break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caylie faces some confusion over what she actually is.

I sat dumbly as Carlisle pulled out books upon books upon books. Most of them weren't even in English. But the pictures in them showed paintings, drawings and sketches of supernatural beings.

There were vampires and werewolves. Some of the books even stated the transformation process of becoming either - providing specific accounts and detailing every characteristic of both species.

Carlisle pointed to words and diagrams and talked. I didn't pay attention. I clasped my hands firmly together and focused my all into staying calm. But Carlisle's words kept playing over and over again in my head:

We don't know what you are, Caylie.

It was too much to handle. Too much to take in. I have always felt out of place – like I didn't fit into society, vamp or human. I figured that had to do with being abandoned as a baby. I mean, not knowing your biological parents or why they tried to get rid of you will do a lot to any kid. But over the years, the Cullens' kindness had slowly opened me up and Nessie had showed me that it was possible to be different and love and be loved.

In fact, it was Nes who had first made me feel that little tinge of acceptance and belonging. And because I had always thought – had been led to believe - that I was like her, like Nes, I thought that I would be fine. I had a buddy, a sister who was just like me.

Only apparently, I was not half-vampire and half-human. I was a whole lot of something else.

"Cay. Sweetie – are you okay? If it's too much, we can stop. We can pick it up again whenever you're ready," Mom said. She peered at me intently, concern etched into every line of her face – well it would have been if the woman had any lines on her face.

"It's a lot. I don't know what to – why didn't you tell me this sooner? Actually, why tell me this at all? Why now? I was just starting to feel good – happy, almost. I could have gone the rest of my life not knowing this, to be honest."

I felt Mom tense. She put her arm around me and hugged me close. "Baby, I'm sorry. We were doing what we thought was best...parents mess up sometimes."

"I was hoping the second set would fare a little better than the first."

The words were out before I could stop them. The room fell completely quiet. Mom had her eyes closed tightly. Edward looked like he wished he could turn me into a mountain lion.

"Bella. Edward. Why don't you go home? Let me take over from here...it might do the three of you some good to take some space for a while," Carlisle suggested.

"Is that okay with you, Caylie?" he asked.

I nodded once. Mom gently ruffled my hair and gave me a small smile before leaving with Edward.

Carlisle sat down next to me with a notepad in hand.

"Are you ready, Cay?" Carlisle asked softly.

 

"Yes," I said simply.

________________________________________________________________________________

 

I was laying on my bed, staring straight at the ceiling. Next to me was Carlisle's notepad and the key to his office. He had given me full access to it so that I could look up anything I wanted. But the only thing I really wanted was tequila. I had seen a ton of movies where normie girls went out to drink and party whenever they had to blow off some steam.

Unfortunately, my parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles have supersonic hearing – so sneaking out is and has always been impossible. Also, alcohol has no effect on vamps. Or half-vamps. Or whatever the hell it is I am.

Basically, alcohol isn't an option when it comes to blowing off steam.

"I just can't catch a break," I mumbled to myself.

"That might happen if you would let me catch a break," Nes called from the front door. Less than a second later she was sprawled on my bed next to me. "You really need to get your butt into school, C."

"And you really need to take a shower. You smell like Jake. UGH." I wrinkled my nose and held my breath. Fun fact: I need to breathe. However, I can hold my breath for an indefinite amount of time. Nes and I timed it once. But we only got up to eight minutes before we both got bored.

Holding your breath isn't as fun when you know you can't die.

Nes grinned. "It's the best smell in the world."

"Ugh. Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if you weren't always so happily in love. Just imagine what life would be like if you were single."

Nes sat up, an empty desolate look on her face. "That wouldn't be a life worth living."

I rolled my eyes. "You're spending way too much time with Edward."

Nes shoved me playfully. I grabbed an obscenely pink pillow and threw it at her. She caught it instantly and put it back in its place.

"Where are Mom and Dad anyway?"

"Don't know."

"Where is everyone?"

"Don't know."

I could see Nes' reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window. She was looking at me intently. I was going to have to tell her.

"C –"

I cut her off. "Nes. We need to talk."

"Here or there?"

"There."

"Let's go, kid," she said as she headed out the door.


	5. Don't you want to know what I am, too?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renesmee and Caylie go to their secret spot.

Nes and I ran, jumped and somersaulted along the path to our spot. We weren't big on racing like Edward but we loved being as creative as possible. Trees could be used as poles to vault off of. Boulders became springboards. Meadows were perfect for an impromptu floor routine. I could hear the Pacific Ocean in the distance – the scent of the water was invigorating.

Up ahead, Nes lightly skipped up the face of a rock wall. From the top of it I saw her flip off the edge and disappear from view. I grinned to myself and yelled "Show off!"  
I heard her laugh tauntingly.

Using just my feet, I ran up the vertical face of the wall and executed the same back flip that Nes did. I landed beside her and went "Ta-da!"

"Tch. Come up with your own moves."  
"Why would I? Yours are so much more fun."

We watched the waves for a little while. The water foamed at the top wherever it hit the rocks. The impact of it sprayed our faces and pretty soon we were drenched from head to toe.

"Come on. We're already soaked. Let's get in," Nes said stripping down. She left her clothes on a high branch and jumped into the frothy water with the most perfectly executed dive.  
"10 points!"

I yanked off my denim shorts and white tank top and cannon-balled into the water. Even though the tide was coming in and the waves were pretty high, underneath everything was calm, serene. Still, being in the ocean frightened me sometimes. It was too unpredictable, too many unknowns. I'd always preferred looking at the sky. With air, what you see is what you get. It had nothing to hide.  
The ocean, was an entirely different animal.

Nes was cutting through the water deftly. She dived down deep and picked up a young starfish, looking at it intently. Her long brown hair floated around her, giving her an ethereal look. She was a great swimmer, obviously. I mean, the girl was part vampire. I, on the other hand, was not. Apparently, the amount of vampire genes in my system did not have 'amazing swimmer' downloaded into it.  
I swam like a manta ray. No, it’s not as cool as it sounds. Picture me with arms flapping on both sides, legs straight and hair floating straight up. Pretty, right?

I looked at the beautiful colours of the coral and tried to recall the names of all the fish that I saw. Nes and I had skipped school one day and had been mucking around in the ocean when we stumbled across the random strip of land that was suddenly exposed in the middle of the ocean. We had named the place Narnia, even though getting to it was far more difficult than just simply walking through a cupboard.

It was the only time Nes had ever gone against her strict moral code and played truant. I had been having a particularly rough time dealing with being abandoned as an infant and Nes had decided that her version of a day at sea would be the perfect thing to perk me up. She had been absolutely right.

I could see the strip of land on the horizon. I broke through the surface and went diving back in again. I heard Nes calling for a race. Her feet kicking harder till I could barely see them. I flapped my arms harder and focused on getting there before Nes. The strip of land was the only thing I was focused on. I willed my body to go faster – and it responded. I shot forward with a surge of speed. My arms were no longer moving but I could feel muscles on my back working, propelling me forward.

In your face, Nes! - I thought gleefully. 

I got to the piece of land first. It was small, we could go from one end to the other in just one jump.  
Nes slowly emerged out of the water. She was looking at me strangely.

"How'd you do that?" she asked as was walking over.

"Do what?"

"Swim without using your body. Both your arms and legs weren't moving. They were just at your side. But you were literally flying through the water. How'd you do that?"  
I stared at Nes, picturing what I must have looked like to her.

I bit my bottom lip and thought about what had just happened. I wasn't stronger than Nes in the water. Never have been. But I had just beat her hands down. It wasn't even remotely close.  
I plopped down on the sand and laid down flat, staring straight up at the slowly darkening sky. "I guess that's what I need to talk about."

Nes looked at me curiously before joining me on the sand. "What do you mean?"

I ran sandy hands through my short blonde hair before launching into what had happened earlier that day. Nes listened quietly through it all – throwing a few looks of disbelief my way a few times. At the end of it, we were still lying in the sand, the water coming closer and closer to us on both sides. The sky had almost completely darkened.

"How are you holding up?" Nes asked softly.

"I'm alright."

"Cay," Nes said looking at me.

I sighed. "I feel like I’ve been proven right. I always thought I was a misfit and here it is. Here's the undeniable proof that I’ve been right all along."

"I never knew being right could feel so bad," I continued.

Nes sat up. She had a thoughtful expression on her face. "Cay. Gramps gave you the key to his office right?"

"I don't understand why you call him Gramps. Have you seen the man's face?"

"Focus, Cay. He gave you the key?"

"Yes."

"And all the books related to supernatural beings are in there?"

"Yes."

"I assume he has read them all cover to cover?"

"Yes. Probably only took him a few days too."

"Do you think Carlisle went online to check?"

I paused for a minute. "Well, I don't think so. He thinks whatever else it is I am, has to be a very very old species. He used the word ancient. I don't think anything ancient would be easily accessible over the Internet."

"Hmm. Perhaps. Look, do you want to know what the other part of you is? I fully understand if you don't want to."

"Don't you want to know what I am too?"

"I honestly don't care. You're my sister. That's all that matters."

I vaulted off the sand and launched at her, squeezing her tight. "Thanks, Nes" I said softly. "That really means a lot to me right now."

There was silence for a bit. I had to tell Nes what was on my mind. "I think the swimming without arms and legs thing has something to do with my unidentified genes. It happened earlier today too. I fell out of tree but instead of crashing into the earth or landing on my feet, I landed softly on my ass. Something slowed down the speed and then sat me down on the ground, gently."

"Maybe you have a tail?"

I burst out laughing. "Screw you, Nes."

Nes giggled. "That's good info though. We should try to figure out what you can and cannot do. It will help narrow down the scope a little."  
"Okay."

Nes ruffled my hair affectionately. "C'mon, Cay. Time to hit the books."

"Urgh," I groaned as I got to my feet.

"Karma's a bitch," Nes said as she scooped up a mound of sand and threw it at me.


	6. You guys are so cute, it's almost disgusting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Esme returns home and uncovers a few clues.

Over the next two days Nes and I poured over every single book in the office. 

Literally. Every. Single. Book. 

Essentially, it was the same thing over and over again. Across the world and in all cultures and languages, there have been sightings and direct contact with werewolves and vampires. They have different names and sometimes even slightly different recorded characteristics but the core traits were all there. Vampire: Cold, sparkles in the sun, drinks blood. Werewolf: Wolf-like, huge, fast.

Me? No bloody idea.

I picked up Jake’s scent before I saw him. He entered the office, picked Nes up and swung her in a circle. “Hey Nessie,” he said softly before giving her a very chaste kiss. 

I always wondered how Jake managed not to get his ass kicked by Edward when he was having…thoughts about Nes. It made me marvel at his self-control. Or perhaps Edward had learnt his lesson and screened Jake out of his mind. 

I guess I’ll never know.

Jake and Nes sat on the bench at one side of the giant work table. Nes snuggled into him and he kissed the top of her head affectionately. They were both wearing the exact same green knit sweater.   
“I see we’re coordinating outfits now,” I said wryly. 

The two of them looked at me, then each other and laughed. 

“Actually this wasn’t planned at all,” Nes said.

“Great minds,” Jake said.

“Aw. You guys are so cute it’s almost disgusting.”

Jake threw a pencil at me. I dodged it deftly and it broke against the wall behind me.

“I’d appreciate it if you refrained from destroying my sanctuary while you’re here, Jacob,” Carlisle said appearing at the door. He had his arm around Esme’s waist. Esme had started taking solo photography trips about five years ago. She wanted to capture photos of scenery and nature with the same definition and clarity that she could see with her vampire eyes. She was in the process of compiling a book with all the photographs she had taken. The equipment she needed was ridiculously expensive but the pictures were truly breath-taking. Esme had a great eye and she could see things far more clearly than the rest of us combined.

“Esme!” I ran at her and threw my arms around her neck. 

“Hi, honey. I missed you,” Esme said as she gently stroked the back of my head.

Esme held on to me as she walked over to the table. She wanted to know how I was doing and how the research was going. I told her everything – which wasn’t much. She listened patiently and then said, “Honey, I know we should have told you sooner. But in all honesty we didn’t know how or what to tell you. We had so little information…I am sorry though. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you. I hope you can forgive us in due time.”

“Oh Esme, there’s nothing forgive,” I mumbled against her white cotton shirt as I hugged her.

I saw Carlisle leaning against the door and looking at his wife affectionately. Jesus, I was around way too many couples.

“Anyway, I had a thought,” Esme said. She pulled out the roll-away whiteboard and grabbed a few markers. 

“Okay guys,” Esme said. “We need to narrow down a few things. One, we need to figure out Cay’s abilities. Two, we need to look up species that are truly ancient – been around since the dawn of man. Carlisle took me to see the Volturi once right after we got married. We had to go to show respect. There was a huge piece of rock mounted on the wall behind them. There were cave drawings carved into it - two men looking at a very tall being. He seemed to be floating off the ground. When I asked what the carving was supposed to be of, Marcus told me it was from the dawn of man and he had stumbled across it in his young vampire days. Apparently, Marcus’ gift extends to paintings, pictures and photos…”

“Marcus’ gift is the ability to determine the true relationship between people,” Carlisle interjected.

“That’s a creepy gift,” said Jacob. “He’d make a killing in private investigation.”

Nes giggled – she was the only one who did so. I made a mental note: must always laugh at your partner’s jokes – particularly in social settings. 

“Basically, Marcus could tell that the cavemen who drew that carving had a real relationship with that floating human that they had carved into the stone.”

There was a silence as Esme’s words washed over us – well them, actually. I had no idea what she was implying.

“I’m sorry, I don’t get it…what does that mean?”

“It means that those cavemen really knew a human looking being who interacted with them floating off the ground.”

“Do you think the caveman just saw something and interpreted it wrongly?” Jacob chimed in. 

“Highly unlikely. Cave drawings were literal representations of their surroundings. It seems very improbable that they would go from literal to abstract representations without any signs of development in their thought processes,” Carlisle said from his spot on the green armchair. He looked for all the world like a professor teaching an etiquette class. His legs were crossed elegantly, one over the other and he was holding a gigantic book by its spine.

“Yes. Jacob does have a point though. It is possible that the cavemen may have interpreted something differently or wrongly. If it had been a singular event, then of course the caveman drawing becomes completely invalid.”

“But,” Esme continued, “that is quite simply not the case. Marcus showed me photographs from other times and cultures with the exact same carving, drawing, printing. It always featured a people of that time, looking at a tall being who appeared to be floating off the ground.”

“Sounds like Marcus took a liking to you,” Nes said.

“Yes, he’s always had a soft spot for Esme. Anyway, there are pictograms in Hieroglyphs and Cuneiform. There are Ebla tablets and Akkadian texts that also discuss a being that was tall and floated off the ground,” said Carlisle. 

“Wait, texts? Didn’t they say more than just floating and tall then?” Nes asked excitedly. 

“Well, the texts we have seen are incomplete. It isn’t uncommon for these ancient texts to go missing, get stolen or simply wear away with time.”

“Oh.”

“The good news is that we have a lead. After pouring over all the old texts, we thought that perhaps this species we are looking for, might be far older than these books. So we gave the ancient languages a try.”

Carlisle reached over for a notebook that he seemed to permanently have within arm’s reach. It was thick with a green cover and blank pages within. The book came with an intricate looking lock that required no key. I always wondered what he was writing in there. 

Carlisle flipped to a page within and said, “The even better news is, we haven’t quite exhausted our search. There are some Sanskrit texts coming to us. I contacted an old friend who works in a museum in New Delhi and he’s kindly agreed to send us these texts.”

“They’re obviously really valuable and extremely brittle so we had to make a sizeable donation before they agreed to send it over,” Esme added. 

“When do the texts arrive?” Jacob asked eagerly. 

“Tomorrow.”

“Is there any indication that these texts are going to be useful to us?” Nes asked with much less excitement and far more concern.

Carlisle and Esme exchanged looks. “Yes,” Esme said simply. 

“Okay, then. We’ll reconvene tomorrow,” Jacob said getting up. “I have a pack meeting.”

“Do you have to tell them about this?” Nes asked. 

“I can sit on it for a while, baby.”

As Nes and Jacob went back and forth about this, I thought about all that work that was being trawled through in order to help me. Well, I hope it’s to help me, I thought, remembering Edward’s words that day in the forest.

“Hey, I have a question.”

Everyone turned to look at me expectantly.

“How are we going to understand the Sanskrit texts?”

Esme and Carlisle laughed. “Oh that. Edward speaks and writes Sanskrit fluently.”

I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Of course he does.”

“Wait a minute – Esme you said we have to figure out Cay’s abilities. How do we do that?”

Esme smiled. “That’s the fun part.”


	7. Five days? Why five days?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gathers to put Caylie through power bootcamp to figure out what she is, to surprising results.

The sun was almost setting by the time we regrouped. I was excited though I had no idea what to expect. I drank three bags of blood to be as charged up as I could be and then changed into my standard workout gear of yoga pants and two sports bras. 

Nothing wrong with a little extra support. 

All the Cullens were assembled in the front yard, including Jake. Their eyes were golden. I wondered if they had gone hunting specifically to keep me in line. 

“Caylie, come. Let’s begin,” Carlisle called pointing to a spot.

I stood where he told me to, facing my entire family. I stood there awkwardly tucking my hair away from my face as Carlisle continued speaking.

“Okay guys. Everyone’s updated and on the same page. We’re going to try and figure out if Caylie has any additional abilities at all. You need to think and consider every possible gift. We need to try everything. We only have five days to get in front of this.”

“Five days? Why five days?” I asked thoroughly confused.

There was a pause as everyone looked at Carlisle to continue. 

“Renesmee stopped growing in her eighteenth year of life. For beings that are born supernatural, the eighteenth year seems to be the year where they reach maturity. Your eighteenth birthday – as Siobhan was able to figure out – is in exactly five days. There is no reason why this will be any different with you.”

I stared at Carlisle. His words floated around me for a bit as I came to terms with the implications of it.

“So…you’re saying…”

“That at eighteen, you should have reached full maturity.”

“…that in five days…”

“Your development will be finished.”

“…I will know what I actually am?”

Mom walked over to me. She was wearing loose fitting jeans and a tank top. She put her hands on both sides of my face, kissed my forehead and said “Yes.”

I closed my eyes and took in several calming breaths. I should have felt nervous, overwhelmed. Unprepared, perhaps. But all I could think of was the relief that would come when I finally knew what I was. The research that I had been absorbed in the past few days had been a distraction from the building panic that I would never know or connect with this mystery part of me. More than anything else, it was liberating to know that this would simply not be the case. 

I smiled at Mom – a genuine smile that she returned at once. She ruffled my hair, “Okay, sweetie. Show us what you got.”  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The first thing that they made me do was jump as high as I could. I could jump pretty high but it was nothing more than what a normal vampire could attain. Jake had stapled a huge piece of paper on a tree. On it were written the following: telekinesis, telepathy, shapeshifting, pyro kinesis, power absorption, power identification, impenetrable skin, super super speed (more than the average vamp), super super strength (ditto), manipulation of natural elements, controlling others, precognition, memory manipulation and teleportation. Carlisle made Jake stop there. Edward continued by telling Jake that he had sufficiently impressed us all with his comic book knowledge and that his nerd was showing. Jake retaliated with clearly thinking something very offensive because Edward responded by growling with all teeth showing.

There was a circle around ‘impenetrable skin.’ Everything else had to be tested out.

Over the next three hours, I was asked to concentrate on making the ground shift, produce fire or ice, guess the number that Mom was thinking of, attempt to divine the future, teleport (which made me feel like I needed either a blue tail or a wand) and transfigure myself into a table or chair. 

None of them were even remotely successful – although I really did want the shapeshifting to work. Could you imagine? All I had to do was transform myself into a table, chair or dustbin in school and teachers would never find me.

We regrouped for a bit. “Okay. So the only thing the know for sure is that Cay is completely impenetrable to us – to full-fledged vampires and half-vampires,” he said. I obviously had most of the vamp basics. Super speed, supersonic hearing, super strong – all the supers. The only difference was that I didn’t need blood to survive. Normie food was good enough. 

Carlisle asked for more suggestions and I could always hear Jake’s brain running through every single superhero comic book in existence. I found myself wishing that I could ask Edward for confirmation and quickly shoved that far-too-chummy thought out of my head. There was a silence as everyone seemed to ponder possibilities. 

I heard Edward inhale deeply before he started speaking. “Look,” all heads were already looking at him. I realized he was looking and addressing me directly. “There has to be something you may be aware of. Something you may have done that seemed out of the ordinary. Something that confused you, maybe? Took you by surprise?”

I stared back at him blankly. He had never held eye contact with me for longer than a second before. 

“Come on, Caylie. There has to be something. Please think,” he said gently.

“Dad’s right, C. There has to be something. Think hard,” Nes said softly.

I didn’t really have to think hard. I thought about the incident in the trees and in the water. Thought about the way my mind had so seamlessly controlled and directed my body. 

I tapped my toe against the ground as I thought and sighed. I was going to sound crazy but I had to tell them. “Actually, there may be two somethings…”  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

And that is how I found myself on the top of the tallest Fir Tree in the front yard. 

You may think I’m joking, dear friend, but I am most certainly not. 

I looked down at my family gathered below. Emmett had promised to catch me if my ‘floating’ didn’t kick in. However, he said it with a grin that clearly said that he had no problem letting me make the Earth’s core my new home. 

“Okay, Cay. Whenever you’re ready,” Carlisle called. The man never used nicknames. He must have been nervous as well. This did nothing to soothe my nerves. 

I know there was nothing to be really nervous about. I mean, I would probably land on my feet even if nothing happened. Even if I did fall on my face, it’s not like I would be hurt. Still though, I was nervous. Really, really nervous.

I looked at the horizon stretching ahead in front of me. I could see the trees gently swaying in the wind coming in from the ocean and the grey clouds that were covering the sun. It was beautiful – full of blues, greens and greys. 

Closing my eyes, I took one foot tentatively off the branch and let it dangle in the air. With a deep breath, I let myself go.

I could fell the wind in my face – the gasps of my family below me – the feeling of the ground rushing towards me – BAM – mouth full of dirt. 

“That was awesome!” Emmett said far too enthusiastically as he lifted me out of the hole I just created. 

“Sure it was,” I said as I dusted myself off.

“Try again, sweetie,” Esme said. 

“Yep. Get your butt right back up there. It’s definitely going to take you a few tries,” Nes said.

“Yeah, please do. This is way more entertaining than anything they have on Netflix,” Jake said smiling. 

I glared at them before turning to face the tree. Mom wished me good luck and planted a kiss on my forehead.

I scaled it in two seconds and found myself looking at the same view I had been taking in less than a minute ago. However, it had changed drastically. The clouds were gone and the sun was out. It was the first time it had been out in full glory in days. I closed my eyes and felt its rays hit my skin. I felt warm and safe. Without thinking, I stepped off the branch. 

Again, I could feel the ground rushing up to me. But this time, I felt more in control. I could feel still feel the sun on my face and instinctively I willed myself to slow down and I did. There wasn’t as much air rushing past my face. I could feel myself falling slower and slower until it could only be described as moving purposefully. My toes touched the ground and I gently pushed both my feet into the earth and let out the breath I had been holding the whole time. 

I opened my eyes – oh I wish I had a camera. 

There were raised eyebrows, hanging mouths and wide bulging eyes. The overall effect was very unlike the usual poised and dignified manner of vampires. Although Jake’s open mouth seemed to be very in line with the wolves. 

“You…actually did…float,” Nes stuttered. Mom, Esme, Emmett and Jake nodded their heads in silent agreement. 

“Actually, if you realized, she didn’t actually float. There was a lot more going on,” Carlisle interjected. “A little under halfway down the tree, she slowed down,” he said pointing to a spot along the trunk.  
“Yes. Something stopped her momentum then guided her to the ground,” Edward said walking closer to me. “Almost like…”

“Almost like she had wings,” Carlisle finished.

Edward and Carlisle were standing behind me. They seemed to be studying my back. I was pretty sure my sports bras wouldn’t have fit so easily over a pair of wings. Nes was looking at them uncertainly. “But if she had wings or something even remotely wing-like, we would have seen it right? Doesn’t the fact that we can’t see it mean that she might have some flying ability? Maybe it just hasn’t fully developed yet.”

“Walk us through what happened, sweetie,” Mom asked, as she guided me back into the house. I told her everything. How I had felt the sun on my face. How I had felt weirdly safe with the idea of falling out of a tree. How I had willed my body to stop and it did. 

Mom told me that that had been exactly the case for her when she had been testing out her ability. That she had to will the shield to expand and that she got better with practice. Perhaps this was the same idea then – just a different ability. 

I mean, I could not belong to a supernatural species that could fly, right? There wasn’t any such thing. There couldn’t be.


	8. Messenger? Like a bike messenger?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caylie gets a visit from a sexy man with a few extra appendages. (I'm sorry - that chapter summary basically wrote itself and I couldn't resist. <3)

The next 4 days passed in a blur. I had dreams of flying beings every single night. The short tiny looking things like that fairy from Peter Pan, then far less graceful looking things like a dumpy man with wings. Then there were these tall, long-limbed creatures with wings made of precious stones and crystal and sometimes even just air. 

The thought of being able to float or fly had really done a doozy on me. 

While I was trying to catch some Z’s and unscramble my thoughts, my family had thrown themselves into more research. They had streamlined their investigation to “winged things” as Nes had put it. I decided to keep myself away from all the action because I simply could not handle going through all the things that I possibly could be. I would just focus on receiving the information and remove myself from the process. 

So remove myself I did. I spent more and more time on long walks around Forks and explored as much of the area as I could. Walking and exploring refocused my mind – allowed me to think of things other than the emotional turmoil I was facing.

It was well after dusk when I re-entered the home I had been taken in to almost eighteen years ago. For once, Carlisle’s office wasn’t chock-a-block with people trying to solve the mystery of my origin. They must have all gone hunting…or perhaps they were just as sick of looking and talking about me as I was of hearing of me. 

I wandered into his room and looked at the papers and laptops scattered across the long worktable. I could see Esme’s hand scrawled across several parchments. A lot of the words she had written had been scratched out. I held the paper over my face and peered at one of the words that had been hastily cancelled.

“Does…that say minotaur? Christ.” I shook my head and tossed the paper on the table. Clearly, my family was just as confused as I was. I snorted loudly before turning to leave the room and froze in shock.

There was a man at the door – at least, he was a man except for the two giant crystal looking wings extending from his back. He had grey eyes that were peering at me closely. He was tall, taller than most people. Tall enough to be an NBA player. His body was lean and I could see the muscles and tendons in his chest and arms. He looked rather young. Too young to be so confidently barging into someone else’s home. He only wore pants – which really wasn’t surprising. No t-shirt was going to fit over those wings. The wingtips (literally) gently brushed the floor.

The man’s skin tone was a delicate light brown. He walked lightly towards me, his whole body moving sinuously. The tip of his wings seemed to pass right through my sneaker. Still, I mumbled a sorry as he walked past, thinking myself rude.  
Did I just apologise to someone who broke into my home?

He sat himself in the green armchair, his wings spreading out a little on both sides to accommodate the chair’s back and sides. Then he interlocked his fingers and continued to study me like I was the strange one.

“Erm. You are? I don’t know where you come from but walking into a stranger’s house is not normal.” I said. I tried to keep my eyes trained on his face and his eyes. His abs were hard not to look at and I really didn’t want to be mistaken for looking at anything further south than that. His wings looked heavy and they were clearly a part of him. They moved and rustled organically, as if they were an extension of the way he could express himself. His shoulders and arms look strong – I wondered if he had to work out to be able to support those wings.

“You are Micah,” he said, distracting me from what would have been an elaborate gym-related daydream. His voice was a little deep yet full of clarity. It made me wonder how it would sound like if he were to sing.

I shook that thought out of my head while breathing in a sigh of relief. The man – I use this term loosely – was wrong. He had the wrong girl. He must be looking for some tall, beautiful creature that had wings made out of diamonds or something. 

“No no. My name is Cay. I think you’re looking for someone else?”

He cocked his head to the side, his curly ash grey hair – the same colour as his eyes – brushing his shoulder. I marvelled at him. Everything he did was so graceful, so intentional. 

“You turn a decade and eight tomorrow, yes?”

I stared at him blankly before realizing what he meant. “Oh! You mean eighteen? Yeah, I turn eighteen tomorrow.”

“And you are adopted?”

“Erm, yes. I stay with my adoptive family. How’d you know – “

“How have you been coping?”

“Oh. Pretty well. The Cullens are all I have ever known so I don’t really feel deprived or lonely or anything. I mean, I’ve never know who my biological parents were so it doesn’t feel like a big loss. Plus, if it wasn’t for being abandoned, I wouldn’t have the best sister in the world – “, I babbled.

“No. With the changes. How are you coping with the changes?”

“What changes?”

The man sighed and crossed his left ankle over his knee. This movement made his abs contract more and I quickly averted my eyes. I did not want to be a branded a perv.

Ignoring my question, he said, “You don’t seem surprised by my presence. Do you know what I am?”

“Uh no. I am very surprised by your presence. I’ve asked you who are you but you don’t seem to want to answer.”

“You don’t know what I am and you allow me to stay? Doesn’t that seem foolish. What if I try to hurt you?”

“If you had wanted to hurt me, you would have done so when I wasn’t looking.”

“I see. As it is, I am not in my full physical form. This is more illusory than anything else,” he said waving at his body.

“Oh! So this isn’t real. You don’t actually look like this. Right?”

He looked at me strangely. Yep. The man who was apparently more air then matter and with giant crystal wings, was looking at me weirdly.

“I was sent to see if you would ascend. Usually there are indications a few weeks to a month before. Have you experienced anything? Ability to bend the elements? Predicting the weather?”

“No. Nothing quite like that…”

“What, then?”

“I…floated.”

“I see,” he said leaning back. His wings stretched a little to accommodate the movement. It was fascinating to watch how they moved.

“You seem to know an awful lot about me. How is that possible?”

The man smiled. He had beautiful teeth and his eyes shone with the radiance of his smile. I returned his smile with a big goofy grin. He instantly stopped smiling. 

“I am a messenger. It is my duty to keep the council updated of any news. I have to make sure all news I share is correct. It is part of my duties.”

“Messenger? Like a bike messenger?” I had a million far more important questions to ask. Unfortunately, this was the only one my intellect had been able to send to my mouth.

“Yes,” he said simply. I wanted to check and see if you know who you are. What you are. Most of our kind have the sight or the sense. Some have both. The ability to divine the truth. But I see you have none of that. I can’t help but wonder if you truly are one of us.”

“One of us? I’m half vampire and half…something. Are you saying that the other half of me is what you are?” I asked pointing at him – specifically, I was pointing at his wings. 

He looked at me cautiously. Then he opened his mouth and said, “Yes.”

My eyes widened in disbelief. I climbed on to the bench and sat on the table, planting my ass right on top of Esme’s minotaur and other tragic Greek mythology suggestions. I sat facing him and staring at him. It didn’t make sense. Why contact me now? 

“Because you are turning a decade and eight – eighteen tomorrow. You will ascend. You are the first of your kind and we would have reached out to you sooner but we didn’t know how to teach you. Didn’t know what you would be. It seemed safer to watch you from afar.”

I let this deluge of information digest slowly in my stomach. “Wait. You’ve been keep tabs on me?”

“Yes. Not all the time – but it was necessary. We are curious about your development. Especially, in the beginning. But over time, you just seemed to be much like your sister. However, the recent developments with your abilities do indicate that there is some of my kind in you.”

I stared at him. Was he the answer to all my questions? I had so many. I barely knew where to start, except with – 

“What are you?” I asked urgently. 

“I am an angel.” 

“You can’t be serious.”

He looked surprised and then offended. “I most certainly am.”

“You mean, angel of God? Do his bidding? Holy angel, kind of angel?”

“Not quite. Those are of human lore. We do not subscribe to such thinking or ideals. Maybe one day I will tell you -,” he stopped short suddenly, looking upwards to his right, staring intently into the air. His eyebrows creased. 

“I must go now.”

“What. Wait! You just came here and left me with more questions than answers. You can’t just leave now,” I pleaded jumping off the table. 

“No. I must go. Tomorrow, you will ascend. You will take your true form just as the sun crosses directly overhead. You will be imbued with some of the knowledge of who we are. I will come to you before dusk. Your family must keep you safe,” he leaned down and looked me straight in the eye. “This is of utmost importance. Your family must keep you safe. They must protect you till I get there. You will be weak after you ascend.”

“I – what – wait,” I spluttered. 

“Take care, Micah. Ascend away from prying eyes.” 

"My name is Ca -"

With that he vanished. I spun in a circle, wondering where he had gone to and run to the front door. For a split second, a shiny glint seemed to pass in front of the moon. Then it was gone.


	9. The same supernatural rules have to apply...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the Cullens hear about Caylie's visitor.

I was sitting on the couch, staring at the grain patterns of the hardwood floor when my family walked back in. I looked up and welcomed them home with a blank expression. I saw Nes pause and run to my side. She knelt in front of me and clasped my hands. “What’s wrong?” she asked urgently.

I couldn’t open my mouth to speak. I hadn’t really digested all the information that had been presented to me by yummy messenger boy. I didn’t know how to tell her or them everything. I was going to sound crazy.

“What’s that scent?” I heard Edward mumble. 

“Yeah, what is that?” Jake said.

The exchanges continued back and forth. I couldn’t pay attention. I covered my face with my hands and tried to focus on being calm. I had no idea how the Cullens and Jake were about to react with the information that I was about to give them. Nes wrapped her arm around my shoulders and waited patiently. I leant against her – I needed the support. 

“Cay, talk to me,” she said softly, pushing my hair off my forehead.

I kept my eyes closed a little longer – the image of pretty wing-boy and his perfect abs made my eyes fly open. 

I reached for Nessie’s hand and cleared my throat. “I need to tell you guys something,” I addressed the room. Everyone turned to look at me. I could see the concern in Mom’s and Esme’s eyes and the curiosity on Carlisle’s face. Taking a deep breath, I started talking.  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fifteen minutes later – there really wasn’t much to tell, as you know – it was their turn to sit on couches and stare at the hardwood floor. Nes hadn’t stopped staring blankly at me. Mom was leaning on Edward and Jake was at the front door staring at the sky. Esme was watching Carlisle write over his shoulders.

I was watching everybody.

“Is everyone okay?” I asked hesitantly. 

Alice and Jasper were on the floor. Her head was in his lap. She opened her eyes and sat up. “Nothing. I see nothing. How is it that I see nothing?” Alice asked Jasper in particular. 

“Because she’s a blind spot. Just like the wolves,” Edward said giving Jake a sideway glance.

“You call it blind spot, I call it an excellent defence mechanism,” Jake said, still looking up at the sky. He had been there ever since I had told them about sexy-dude-with-wings. Obviously, I had left the ‘sexy’ part out.

“I can’t believe we missed – you missed something like…angels. How is that even possible. You guys were alive before the invention of sliced bread. You’ve never even heard of them?” Jake directed at the Cullens as he walked back in and plopped down next to Nes.

“No, we’ve never heard of them,” Jasper said without looking at him. 

I felt Jake’s over-warm hand on top of my head. “I don’t mean to be rude, Cay, but I gotta ask. Were you high or something? Maybe you imagined the whole thing.”

Nes punched him in the chest, eliciting a sound of surprise from Jake. I wasn’t looking but I could imagine the look Nes was giving him. She was extremely protective of me under normal circumstances. Given the current situation, she was completely mom-ing out on me.

“Caylie. He mentioned something to you about ascending. Do you know what that means exactly?” Carlisle asked, pen poised readily over his paper. 

I stood up, stretching my legs. “It means that I will be ‘imbued’ with some sort of knowledge and that I will be like him, I guess.” Carlisle wrote all this down, even though I had already mentioned it before.

“Okay. So you will ascend and then be weak after and we have to protect you…”

“Yep.”

“But we have no idea what we are supposed to be protecting you against, right?” Mom called out to me anxiously. 

“Nope.”

“So it could be spiders or sunlight or silver or something stupid and we simply wouldn’t know. Right?” Jake interjected.

“Correct.”

“Did he make it sound like an attack was coming? Or were we just supposed to keep a look out in case something was to occur?” Emmett asked.

“He just said that you guys must keep me safe and protect me and that I must ‘ascendddd’ –“ I said dragging out the word, “away from prying eyes.”

“So that does suggest that something will happen. That someone will be watching. But who?” Emmett directed at Carlisle now. 

I walked the length of the room up and down, slowly. Trying to find my bearings as my family argued and discussed and planned around me. Only Nes seemed aware of me. I could sense her watching me walk back and forth, back and forth, her head swivelling from side-to-side.

“C. What are you thinking about?” Nes called out to me gently. 

I shrugged my shoulders. To be completely honest I was trying very hard not to think. But that seemed like a very unfair statement to make because everyone else was trying so hard to think of a solution. So, I kept my mouth shut.  
“Enough. We need a plan. According to the timeline, we have 14 hours till she ascends. We need to find a secure location and prepare anything we may need to keep her safe.”

I looked up in surprise. The voice belonged to Edward and he sounded genuinely concerned. I shrugged it off. He was probably afraid that his hair would get messed up during my ascension which was why he needed me as far away as possible. I giggled at the thought of Edward ducking behind some furniture when the ascension began.

“What do we need anyway?” Mom asked. “It’s not like we know exactly what we’re dealing with. How do we prepare for something that we don’t know anything about?”

“Well, the same supernatural rules have to apply, right? Whenever a human becomes a vampire, they’re initially really hungry and much stronger than any other vampire. When the wolves change the first time, they fall sick, get much bigger and then are a little confused for a while. We can assume that much if not all of the same will be happening with Caylie tomorrow. Whatever it entails, she’s going to experience change of some kind and this change is going to make her weak which may leave her hungry. We need food and blood and someone who will be able to keep her calm,” Carlisle said seriously. 

He was about to cut in when Rosalie said, “What if she doesn’t need food or blood once she ascends. What if she needs something else for sustenance?”

There was a pause here. Everyone looked at me, some of my family looked a little apprehensive and others a tad uneasy. 

Carlisle broke the silence. “That doesn’t matter. She’s half vampire. That part of her will respond to the blood. And since she’s always eaten regular food, there is no reason why it will be any different now.”

Carlisle’s logic made sense and I felt the relief that swept across the room. 

“Okay,” said mom typing on her phone. “We need bags of blood and food. PB&J sandwiches okay with you, honey?”

“Sure.”

“Emmett and I will go ready the Jeep. Put some of the usual supplies in there,” Jasper said. He kissed Alice and headed out the door, closely followed by his much larger brother.

“Where do we go, though? Should we go to our place? It’s small, far more secluded. Will that be enough protection?” mom asked Edward.

I was still busy walking the room. There was a thought at the back of my brain. It kept trying to push through, wanting attention. I closed my eyes and focused on it. What? What is it? What am I trying to realize?

“The same supernatural rules have to apply…,” I mumbled to myself. Then it hit me. I gasped and my eyes flew open. “Of course!”

I spun around and faced my family. “Carlisle! You’re a genius.”

Carlisle looked a little surprised. “Well, thank you Cay. That is very kind.”

“The same supernatural rules have to apply! You figured it out. Who are the natural enemies of the wolves?” I asked excitedly. 

“Vampires,” Alice said. 

“And which supernatural creatures are vampires susceptible to?”

“Um…wolves?” Nes said.

“YES! Exactly! Don’t you see?” I exclaimed bouncing up and down in my excitement.

I was greeted with blank stares.

“If the same supernatural rules apply, and angels exist, then isn’t it safe to assume that angels have a mortal enemy as well?”

My arms were raised in anticipation as I waited for everyone to reach the same conclusion as me. There was silence. No movement, no talking. I waited a few seconds longer, both my smile and excitement diminishing as the silence stretched on.

“I’m sorry, it seemed to be the simplest explanation,” I said slightly abashed.

“It is the simplest explanation. And you’re probably right,” Esme said sitting down slowly on the couch. 

“Cay. Cay, if you’re right, it means there’s another supernatural race out there. Vampires and werewolves know about each other, they always have. It’s in our bones. If there’s another race out there that are specifically anti-angel, we have no idea what they are,” Nes explained.

“It means we didn’t just miss one supernatural species -,” Carlisle started.

“It means we missed two,” Edward finished.


	10. It's an old Quileute recipe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ascension begins sooner than expected.

The reservation was beautiful. It always had been. The water lapped up onto the rocks and gently pooled around my feet before getting sucked away by the tide. The wind swept my hair off my face. It felt soothing, comforting. I closed my eyes and imagined the wind taking me and my problems away with it. 

I could hear the wolves pattering up and down the beach behind me making low growls and soft snarls. 

After realizing the extreme likelihood of there being yet another species, Jake had decided that there would be safety in numbers and abilities. After arguing with Edward back and forth, the final decision had been made by Carlisle. He agreed with Jake’s idea and less than thirty minutes later, we had been on our way to the Quileutes’ home. 

Jake had told us to wait at the border that had been agreed upon during the signing of the treaty. It took over an hour but finally the wolves had relented as well – though very, very begrudgingly. The big black wolf form of Sam Uley and three other wolves had accompanied Jake back when he came to get us. They had flanked us on all sides as we headed into the reservation. When Emmett drifted a little too far left for the wolves’ liking, one of them snapped at him in warning. Even if whatever was supposed to kill me didn’t actually appear, there might still be cause for violence between the vampires and the wolves.

Despite the animosity between the younger ones on both sides, Billy Black had warmly welcomed Carlisle. He had aged considerably over the years, his face becoming more lined and deep-set with lines and wrinkles. He shook Carlisle’s hand warmly and together, the two of them headed to the small cottage that sat prettily at the edge of the reservation, talking like old friends. 

Sam’s wife, Emily, came over carrying a giant plate with some of the biggest scones I had ever seen. She offered them to us – seemingly unaware that to most vampires, human food tasted like dirt. Jake was about to open his mouth and explain this to her when Alice took one from the plate and thanked her profusely. 

“No problem. It’s an old Quileute recipe. You should try it!”

Alice looked at her hesitantly. “Oh oh, yes. Of course,” she leaned forward to take the smallest of bites, chewed a few times, then gave Emily a big smile and a thumbs up with a highly exaggerated, long drawn out “Mmmmmm.”

Despite the anxiety and the near-panic that was coursing through my veins, the exchange between them almost made me laugh. I watched as Alice continued to take slow tentative bites while Emily watched and rattled on about the ingredients that went into it. The look on Alice’s face almost brought a smile to my face.

It was well after 8am and in three hours or so I would begin ascending. I let out a deep sigh and headed into Jake’s cottage. I needed my rest. 

My skin felt hot. Uncomfortably, so. I rolled over on the Black’s couch – trying to find a breeze of some sort in my sleep. But the feeling continued and intensified. The tingling turned into an angry hornet’s nest buzzing under my skin. I was clutching at my legs before I had made the conscious thought to sit up. I let out a soft moan and looked up to see Carlisle and Billy Black looking at me from where they sat in the kitchen. 

The panicked look on my face must have troubled Carlisle enough to run over, cradle me in his arms and take me outside. The sun was still a little distance from being directly overhead – why was the change starting now?

“I think it’s started,” Carlisle called. 

“What. We still have over an hour,” Nes said as she hurried over. 

There was more conversation then but I was too hazy with pain. I felt rivulets of sweat run down my face. It was a strange sensation – I had never sweat in my life. I had no ideas vampires could even sweat. This was clearly something that came from the other part of me. 

There was a loud POP and a CRACK followed by my screaming. My knee had been pulled out of the socket and the leg snapped in two. I could feel Nes trying to calm me and hear Carlisle calling for his medicine bag. The giant shapes of the wolves were hovering on the perimeter, circling back and forth. 

The left knee then popped, the bones within halved. The pain was unbearable - made my body tense – made me unable to focus on anything but it. The invisible force that had been breaking my legs started stretching them out. My body went limp and I screamed. I screamed as loud as I could – not caring who heard me. Not caring how I must have looked. It was just me and the pain of feeling my bones get stretched, hearing the sounds of the bones grating. I could feel the spit form around the edges of my mouth and through the haze I heard Nes frantically asking for help, felt mom try to soothe me with her hands on my head.

Then Edward’s voice, “Break it. Break her neck. Now.”

Then a snap and everything went dark.


	11. Wings...she has wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An invisible creature attacks everyone on the reservation and Caylie gets her wings.

My eyes flew open and I looked frantically around me. I was no longer in pain but I remembered it – remembered the breaking and the stretching. I involuntarily shuddered. My chest rose up and down quickly. I tried to slow it, wanting to avoid the impending panic attack. 

I felt Nes stroke my head, asking me whether I was okay. Mom was wiping the sweat off my skin, while Carlisle was lifting my legs and moving the joints. They seemed to be intact. 

“Cay. Hey, I need you to answer me. Are you okay?” Nes asked.

“I – I – what happened? Did I pass out? What time is it?”

“No. Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett broke your neck so you wouldn’t feel anything…I was surprised they managed to break it.”

“Oh. So what time is it?”

“11.30.”

“Do you think it’s over?”

“I hope so…that was awful to watch. Are you okay? Is there anything you want? Food, blood – anything?”

I shake my head, no. I could hear rather than see the wolves and I no idea where the rest of the vampires were. I didn’t have the energy to ask. The short exchange alone with Nes had already worn me out.   
“Nes…what happened to my legs – I mean, why did it happen?”

“From the looks of it, your body was stretched. Your limbs are longer. There appears to be more muscle tone where there was once none,” Carlisle said.

“Hey…I had some muscle tone.”

Carlisle looked up and smiled. My comment broke some of the tension and Mom gently smacked my leg, calling me silly – then looked at horrified at what she had done. I shook my head at her, indicating that it was okay. 

“Caylie, honey, look at your arm,” Mom said gesturing.

I looked down and gasped. There were real muscles, actual muscles on my arm. Biceps, triceps and all the other…ceps. I tensed and relaxed my arm, watching the muscles below the skin move. I noticed my jeans – not knowing how I hadn’t noticed them sooner. They had ended at my ankle when I had put them on. But now they were higher, ending at my calf. The button of my jeans had blown apart and was now so separated that it was clear it would never close. 

“I feel like Violet Beauregarde,” I muttered. Nes giggled.

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t quite that dramatic,” Mom interjected. Carlisle looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

I tried to stand but Mom, Nes and Carlisle all held me down and said “NO!” in unison. I sighed.

“Guys, I want to stand. I want to understand how much has changed. How much I’ve changed. It’s not even noon yet, I don’t know what’s going to happen next and I would like to take stock of things while I can.”

Mom and Carlisle exchanged looks. Then he nodded and I felt Nes’ arms firmly support me under my pits and then I was up. She let me go and I would have fallen face first if it wasn’t for the other two.  
I was definitely taller. Without even being completely upright, I could see clear above Carlisle’s head. I wasn’t used to having to move so much leg and I kept accidentally dragging the side of my foot on the ground. Think baby giraffe learning to walk for the first time. 

Mom and Carlisle jostled me around and Nes stayed behind me with her arms out. From the looks on their faces I could tell that my body had changed drastically. My jeans were short and very tight – with my teddy bear print underwear poking out because they could no longer be buttoned. I should have worn something that didn’t look like it came from a ten-year-old’s closet. The white t-shirt I had worn had turned into a crop top and I could feel my toes curled up in my sneakers. I kicked them off and flexed my feet. They were huge and –   
“Ohmygod I have four toes! What the hell – oh wow that’s gross. That’s really gross.”

“That’s…weird,” Nes volunteered. Next to him Carlilse was writing in his notebook furiously.

Each foot had two big toes. One on each end. It was just about the ugliest thing I had ever seen. I asked Carlisle for his shoes. He promptly told me my feet were now bigger than his. 

“You look really strong. I can’t get over it. Like an Amazon,” Mom commented. She was standing back, taking all of me in at the same time. 

“You’re now six feet 2 inches,” Carlisle said winding up his tape measure. “That’s an increase of 8 inches in the space of about an hour. No wonder he said you’ll be weak. Your body has to adjust and you’ll be slower and far clumsier. Your spatial estimation is going to be off for a little while. Might be best for you to rest.”

I wanted to see my reflection and was about to ask Nes to take me to a mirror when the rest of my family returned. They were carrying some bags of blood and food. Jake and Sam (now in human form) were with them.

I could feel Sam’s eyes boring into me. The rest of my family looked shocked. 

“Nice growth spurt, Cay. Unfortunately, none of it happened in this area,” Jake said pointing at his chest. I gave him a small smile, grateful for his humour. 

Everyone was trying to take me in. Jasper and Emmett asked me if I was okay and I nodded my answer. Alice came over to hug me, only able to reach up to my armpits now. Esme beckoned me down towards her and I cautiously lowered myself, not wanting to tip over. 

“Don’t worry. We’re all here to help. I’m not going anywhere and neither is anyone else. I don’t want you thinking of anything else except getting through today,” she said without breaking eye contact.  
I looked at her, suddenly feeling a little bereft.

“I need an answer, Caylie. Are you with me?”

I closed my eyes and forced myself to trust that the Cullens wouldn’t abandon me. I knew Nes and Mom wouldn’t. Esme would stand by me too. But if whatever I am now does more harm than good, it seemed like the most logical choice was to –

“Caylie” Esme’s voice cut into my thoughts. 

“Yes,” I whispered. “I’m with you.”

“Good girl. There’s food and blood. You need to replenish yourself. So do the rest of us,” she said calling out everyone else. “It’s time to charge up. Whatever is coming might need all of us and the best we can do is be as ready as we can.”

“There’s not much time. Noon is approaching fast,” Sam interjected. 

“Then we need to be quick,” Jacob said. Emily headed to the kitchen to pass out the food and the wolves – now all in human form – hurried after her. 

Edward punched a straw into a blood bag and handed it to me wordlessly. I took it from him without looking up and slurped the whole thing down.

After three bags of blood, I was feeling far more like Violet Beauregarde than I had been earlier. But the blood worked – I felt more alert and was able to move without tripping as much, although walking briskly was still out of the question. 

The Quileutes and the vampires were all milling around closely. Emmett, Jasper, Edward, Jake, Sam, Alice, Embry and Seth were walking in a formation of some sort. There were at least two pair of eyes on the water, the forest and the sky at all times. 

It struck me that we would always have to include watching the sky in our look-outs from now on. 

“What time is it?” Edward asked. 

“Noon,” Jasper said looking at his watch. 

No sooner had the words left his lips that I felt pain explode down my back. It felt like someone had dug two knives down from my shoulder to my hips. My eyes blurred with tears and pain. I was on all fours, trying not to collapse flat on the ground. My new and improved crop top flapped open at the back.

“Do it - hurry, break her neck again,” Mom said urgently.

I felt cold hands around my neck and felt a tug. But there was no crack, no sudden shift. 

“Here, let me try,” Emmett said pushing Jasper aside. His hands were bigger and covered most of my neck. But no matter how hard he tugged and yanked – my neck didn’t budge. I could feel him straining, putting all his weight behind the effort, to no avail. 

I felt a surge of energy from deep within me. Behind me, Nes was trying to stop the bleeding. I saw Rosalie’s hand quickly drop a blood soaked cloth on the floor and saw her feet moving away. “I’m sorry, I can’t,” I heard her say. 

Carlisle took her place and together he and Nes did their best to clean the blood – I could feel it rolling down the sides of my back. The energy within me seemed to grow, coursing through my veins and removing the pain and the weakness. It grew till it seemed to be pushing at the edges of my skin, till I could physically feel it – like little hands trying to push their way out. The energy flowed around my body, trying to find an exit big enough for it to come out all at once. Finally, it reached my back and in one quick painless, relieving explosion, I felt it come out of my back pulling something along with it. The force of the action flipped me onto my side and I was instantly depleted, unable to keep my eyes open – unable to care enough to keep my eyes open.

The last thing I heard before succumbing to sleep was Nes’ voice. “Wings…she has wings.”


	12. This feels like quite an honour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Cullens and the wolves meet Gabriel for the first time. Tensions rise.

I don’t know how long I was out – but I gathered it couldn’t have been too long. The sun was still overhead when I slowly opened my eyes. I’m lying in the same position – on my side. I could feel the little rocks press into my face and my body. The pain in my back had dulled to an ache. My eyes darted around before I settled on Sam’s figure. I could see his mouth moving but I couldn’t hear him – in fact, I couldn’t hear anything. Not the waves, not the movements of those around me – nothing. 

Sam pointed at something, yelling. I see him start to get onto all fours. I blink and he is in wolf form. He seems to be sniffing the air. Carlisle steps into my line of vision, pointing in the direction opposite to where Sam is facing. He too has his nose tilted up, taking deep breaths. 

I inhale trying to pick up on whatever it is they were smelling. I can’t smell a single thing – it felt like my senses have dulled or ceased to exist. I move my body, trying to see if anything is responsive. Nothing.

Sam’s giant wolf form is suddenly pulled up right. His snout opens in a grimace of pain - like he had let out a yelp. The other wolves start phasing on the fly. Sam is writhing on the ground, fighting off something that couldn’t be seen. 

I see a wolf try to jump on and help him but he goes flying out of my line of vision. Emmett jumps into frame and wraps his arms around the invisible thing. He manages to budge it long enough that Sam is able to get back on his feet – then Emmett is slammed into the ground.

Another blink. All the vampires and wolves were clustered around, trying to fight something that none of us could see. Emmett, Jasper, Edward, Jake and Sam each grab on to one part of the thing – outlining its clearly humanoid form. Then together, they sink their teeth and fangs into it. I blink and in the next second, the five of them are looking around – apparently wondering the same thing: what happened? 

I see a pair of red sneakers with pristine white laces coming quickly towards me. Knees drop down in front of me and I see Nes’ eyes peering into mine. She must have said something because three more pairs of shoes appear before I’m being hauled into a sitting position. 

Nes tilts my head back and pours a bag of blood down my throat – I gag a little and then focus on swallowing as much of it as I can, some of it trickling out my mouth. The blood helps somewhat. I feel a little more lucid and my senses start working again. 

Her voice comes to me a little fuzzy. “Cay. Cay – talk to me. Are you okay? Do you remember anything?”

Carlisle kneels down in front of me. His blue shirt was a little rumpled and though he looked fine physically – he seemed exhausted. He opens each of my eyes a little wider and peers into them. “She seems responsive. Might just be shock – from all the pain and the changes.”

“Is there anything we can do?”

I part my lips, wanting to offer them some comfort. “I’m –“ I snap my mouth closed. My voice sounded different. Lower with more bass. I instantly missed the higher pitched voice I was used to hearing.   
“I – I sound different,” I mumble.

“That’s the last of our worries. You look extremely different compared to just two hours ago,” Carlisle murmured.  
“Wait – what was that…thing? You guys looked like you were smelling something and then fighting it off.”

“Sulphur. The smell was sulphur,” Jasper said. 

“Are you sure?” Mom asked. 

“I’d know that smell anywhere. I used to spend a lot of time in Idaho during the war. The hot springs there were the only source of comfort – this smelled exactly like that.”

“It was strong,” Sam said.

“And quite big. I could barely get my muzzle around it’s arm,” Jake said. 

“You managed to kill it?”

“Not sure about that. Seemed like it just vanished, more than anything else. One moment I could feel the arm between my teeth and the next moment it was gone.”

Carlisle was writing in that notebook of his again. I suspected a whole new set of books would be quickly added to his library – all of which would be written by him. He peered at me intently and asked me how I was feeling. 

“I feel tired…and hungry.” Nes was about to offer me more blood when I said, “but not for blood – or food. It’s something else – I am craving for something but I don’t know what it is.” I didn’t look at them when I said this. I didn’t want to see the judgmental looks or the worry in their eyes. I was a whole new species to them. And though it wasn’t my fault – how was I supposed to know I was anything but vampire – I had just changed the world we had so comfortably learned to fit into forever. 

“Do you want to try standing, Caylie? I would love to get your wingspan. I want to track their growth…although it looks like they have fully matured,” Carlisle said.

Before I could respond, a voice cut into my head: I’m coming.

“What?”

“I asked if you could stand. I’d really like to get the wingspan.”

“No – not you, Carlisle. The sound,” I was pointing at my head. “came from hear. I heard someone’s voice. They said they were coming…” I trailed off. I wondered how many more times I was going to have to look or sound crazy before the day ended. 

Near the cottage, Emily was feeding the wolves and bandaging up those who had been hurt. Thankfully, they only had little bumps and bruises. The Cullens were sprawled across the beach, looking out at the water. I realized this was the first time any of them had been allowed on the reservation since the treaty. It had to feel nice – well would have if it wasn’t for the events of the day. Sitting on a log next to Esme, Carlisle was still writing in his notebook. I made a mental note to buy him more as soon as I could get myself to a store…with my giant wings. 

I didn’t look forward to seeing myself. Having wings meant that I was never going to be inconspicuous. At least as a vampire I could fit in with the normal people. I mean, they seemed to know instinctively that was something different about me but at least I didn’t stick out of the crowd. I was never going to be able to walk down the street again, never going to be able to watch a movie at the local theatre. Never going to be able to do normal kid things. With a pang, I realized that I was never going to be able to sit in school again – I wished I had attended it more while I could. 

Nes was staring out at the water when Jake went over and kissed her on the forehead. She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He put his arms around her and together they stared out at the horizon. Usually, I found their displays of love and affection nauseating. But today, it filled me with loneliness. I had wanted to have what they did at some point…I now wondered if I ever would.   
I closed my eyes and sighed. There was a slight change in the energy and the atmosphere in that moment – it felt tense. I opened my eyes and saw sexy angel boy squatting down in front of me. His wings cocooned us, wrapping us into our own little bubble. He looked over me and reached over to touch my wings – the wings that still didn’t feel like they belonged to me. Every wolf and vampire on the beach were still doing their own thing – none of them seemed to have noticed his arrival. 

“They don’t see you?”

“Not yet. They’ll see me when I want them to see me. Are you alright?” He reached over and runs his hand over my mouth. I’m surprised by the contact. His hand is stained red.  
“Thanks… I don’t feel too good. I just had my body broken and my back sliced open.”

“Well, yes. Perhaps I should have given you more of a warning. One forgets how traumatic the ascension can be. My apologies.”

“Sure,” I said sarcastically. 

“I wanted to get here in time to stop the attack – “

“Yep. Much too little, too late.”

“You seem annoyed with me.”

“No. I just don’t trust you. Why should I? You left me to undergo this huge process completely on my own and show up again when it’s all over. And I don’t even know your name.”

“I am sorry. I ascended hundreds of years ago. One truly does forget. I should have factored in that it be worse for you since you had no idea what you really are. I hope you find it in yourself to forgive me.”

I was taken aback by the sincerity of his apology. “It’s alright. It’s over now.”

“Gabriel.”

“What?”

“My name is Gabriel.”

“Oh. Nice to meet you, Gabriel.”

“Likewise. We need to feed you.”

“Yeah – my body is craving something. But I don’t know what. I’ve been drinking blood to keep me conscious.”

“Blood? Interesting…looks like the vampire side is not as dormant as I thought it would be.”

I watched him as his mind seemed to drift off. He was very, very easy on the eyes. Grey eyes, grey hair, beautiful grey wings. Broad shoulders, strong arms, sharp jaw. I had to pull my eyes away before they started dipping any lower. 

“Wait, so what is that I’m craving?”

He grinned, showing perfect white teeth and crinkled eyes. “Sunlight.”

“Sunlight?”

“Yes.”

“I need sunlight to survive?”

“Yes.”

“Well, then I live in the worst place imaginable for that.”

“Actually, we think you living in Forks was the reason why we didn’t know about you for so long. It’s also the reason why you weren’t attacked until the day of your ascension. Sunlight charges us. Charges the wings, keeps us strong. It’s literally an unlimited resource and it maximizes all our abilities.”

“So sunlight is really important for me to function…if I stayed here, would there be any way for me to fit in? Go back to my normal life.”

Gabriel’s eyes filled with sympathy and remorse. “I’m sorry,” he said, “but your life is never going to be the same again.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I knew that was the answer. That obviously my life had changed forever. Still, the words hit hard.

“I need to tell them that I have to take you with me. I’m sure they will have a lot of questions as well.”

“Yes…Carlisle might talk to you for days on end. And he’ll be writing down everything you say.”

“I see…has he been writing every down?”

“Yes. The most meticulous notes you’ve ever seen.”

“We don’t allow records of us – written or otherwise.”

“Actually, there are some records of your kind. From millennia ago – but they’re there.”

Gabriel look surprised at this. “That would be news to the council. No matter – we have other pressing things to attend to now. I am going to uncloak and explain what is to happen. It might help if you remain calm and show that you trust me – it will give them some peace.”

“I think peace is a strong word here.”

Gabriel gave me a small smile before standing. His wings seemed to stretch out a little bit and then everyone on the beach whipped around and were staring at us. 

“Whoa,” I said.

“It’s the smell. Makes it difficult to ignore,” Gabriel said. 

Do we stink, I wondered.

Everyone was staring at Gabriel. Some accusatorily, some in wonder, some in fear and some in open curiosity. Gabriel lifted his hand and said “Hi.”

“Erm, this is Gabriel,” I said.

“You know his name now?” Nes asked as she walked towards us. 

“Yeah, we’ve been talking for the past few minutes.”

“On our reservation. Without our knowledge? How is that possible?” Sam growled as his pack started phasing back into their wolf forms. Gabriel watched them in fascination. 

“I must say, I have never seen the Children of the Moon. This feels like quite an honour.”

“It won’t be feeling like an honour in a second. How did you manage to get on the reservation? The land is connected to us. We always know when someone who isn’t welcome is on it.”  
“I was cloaked – invisible.”

“Of course,” Jake muttered. 

I looked at Carlisle imploringly, wanting him to ask something that would take the conversation in another direction. He saw me looking at him and gave a quick nod before asking, “So why are you here? I understand that you were supposed to help protect her and then help her with the weakness she’s experiencing?”

“I wasn’t going to protect her against the first attack. It was imperative that they saw that she was being protected by others. My kind has kept our continued existence a secret for a few eons now. Our survival and their dwindling numbers depends heavily on our secrecy.”

“What are they?” Edward asked. 

Gabriel hesitated for a moment, wings coming in ever so little. It looked like the wings were in tune with moods and emotions because they seemed to have just exhibited a slight nervousness.   
“Before I address that I would like to finish his,” he said waving in Carlisle’s direction “question.”

Edward just continued looking at Gabriel, his mouth pressing into a thin line. 

“My kind – the angels – we process energy from the sun. It feeds us, keeps us strong. We absorb it through our skin. The closer we get to the sun, the more our power increases.”

“Wait…so you’re saying that there’s no cap to the amount of power we can get from the sun?”

“Yes. There’s no limit to it. Celestial bodies have a lot of impact on Supernatural beings. For example, the Sun makes it difficult for vampires to hide because of their skin. The Moon lends strength to the Children of the Moon – helping them move quicker, be more in sync. There are more abilities that can be attributed to the Sun and the Moon – our scientists never stop working on it.”

Everyone looked a little blank at this. It didn’t seem like anyone was aware of this information. “Hang on. You’re saying that you and your kind, you know more about supernatural beings in general? More information…more understanding. More studies, perhaps?” Carlisle asked. 

“Well, yes.”

“Is there any way I could get access to that information?”

“No – as you can imagine, secrecy is our key. Sharing information isn’t something we do.”

“If you didn’t want to share information then why did you abandon Caylie when she was a baby?” Edward asked icily. I blanched a little at the word ‘abandon’. Edward had never spoken about that day to me. Hearing him speak about it felt strange, to say the least.

“Who?”

“You don’t even know her name? It’s CAYLIE,” Nes said a little angrily. 

“No, it isn’t. Her name is Micah. A highly appropriate one as it means miracle in our world.”

There was more silence now. But silence that was loud. That had an intention behind it. I knew what this was leading to – my family was liking this guy less and less. 

“The name itself gives the angel power, so it’s important to call her by the right –“

“It’s okay. I like the name Caylie. I’ve always been Caylie and I will like to stay Caylie,” I interjected. “But I would like you to answer his question…why did I get abandoned?”

Gabriel looked at me in surprise. “I – I don’t know. I’m just a messenger. My job is to ensure you get your strength and then take you to the Council to decide how we will proceed.”

Mom’s voice came out loud and sharp. “Proceed? Proceed with what?”

“With what we should do with her. We have to decide how to train her and how to include someone from the outside into our ranks. There’s never been anyone like Mi – I mean, Caylie before.”

“Into your ranks?” Mom’s hands were twitching now. 

“Yes…Mi – Caylie can’t stay here anymore…It isn’t safe for her or for you. Her place is among us now.”

“What are you saying? Are you expecting me to just come with you and leave them forever?”

“Well, yes. What did you think was going to happen?”

I stared at him – wondering whether I was actually expected to leave everything and everyone I knew behind. “That’s crazy. This is my life, my family. I’m not leaving with you.”

“Mi – “

“Caylie!” Jake and Nes exclaimed at the same time.

“Caylie you have to come with me.”

“Why. Why does she have to come with you?” Jake asked. 

“Because if she doesn’t, she will be deemed a traitor and the angels will order her death,” Gabriel finished.


	13. You have my word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caylie heads for the sun.

I burst out laughing. Really, burst out laughing. I’d read that expression a thousand times but never understood the power or the meaning of it until now. The thought that I would be hunted by a supernatural race that I never knew existed and vice versa, was absolutely ridiculous. Why would some ancient powerful civilization that had the ability to fly and become invisible even bother with the likes of me?

Gabriel was staring at me with his brows furrowed. “Something funny?”

The look on his face made me laugh even harder. 

“Really, Caylie. This is no laughing matter,” Esme said quietly. Her tone calmed me down long enough to explain my thoughts. 

Gabriel raised one perfect grey eyebrow. “Of course the council will bother with you. You should never have been able to survive this long on earth without needing the sun. Obviously, your vampire side has a lot to do with that.”

“Exactly. Which is why I’m not going to the council. I am part vampire – which means I don’t entirely fall under the council’s jurisdiction. If they need to see me, assess me, then they will come to me. I am not walking into an unknown territory where no one will be looking out for my best interests. I need counsel too. My counsel can’t fly – so it seems reasonable to meet here.”

Sam growled at me. “I meant at the Cullens’. If that’s okay with everyone…” I said looking at Carlisle and Esme hesitantly. 

“Of course, honey. Anything you need,” Esme said. The rest of the Cullens nodded and voiced their approval – even Edward.

“I don’t think you understand, Caylie. One does not bargain with the council.”

“Well, I’m the first of our kind to exist on earth, be abandoned and contain vampire genes, right? I’m sure they won’t be very surprised that I will be the first to choose not to fall in line.”

Gabriel closed his eyes. He opened them after almost a minute had passed and saw all of us staring at him. “My apologies. Just conveying the message to the council.”

“You can communicate telepathically?” Edward asked, sounding intrigued. 

“We” Gabriel said, pointing at me and himself, “can communicate telepathically. As long as a physical meeting has taken place, any two angels can communicate telepathically.”

“So you’re currently communicating with only one person in the council?”

“Yes. Just one of the Elders.”

“Is it like e-mail? Can you archive unimportant messages and just get back to it later?” Jake, obviously. 

Gabriel chose to close his eyes instead of answering Jake. I can’t say I blamed him. 

Gabriel walked to me and extended his hand. “I have my orders. I’m to help you charge up and an Elder will pay you a visit soon. Until then, I will be around to offer protection and ensure that you learn how to stay hidden. Do we have a deal?”

I was still busy processing when Edward cut in with, “What do you mean pay her a visit? Sounds ominous to me.” 

“It isn’t meant ominously. We are not allowed to harm one of ours unless they threaten our kind or threaten to expose us. He will come to speak to all of you – sort out how to accommodate Caylie and her unique needs.”

Edward just nodded. “What about charging up. How do I know you won’t just fly her away somewhere?”

The same thought had been playing in my mind and by the look of the nods that went around, most of us had been thinking the same thing. To his credit, Gabriel looked truly upset and hurt by this. “No. I do what I say. I will have her back as soon as she has had a taste of sunlight. You have my word.”

His word? His word? What happened to words being cheap?

“Alright,” Carlilse said. Apparently, words were only cheap to me. “How long will you need?”

“Sixty minutes at the most. Do I bring her back here or to your home?”

“Here,” Sam cut in. “I want to see what she’s like when she’s all charged up. I like you Caylie but you’re a new species – unchartered territory. It’s my job to keep my people updated of such things,” he directed at me. 

I nodded – trying not to let the words “new species” alienate me. 

“Let’s get going then,” I made to stand but couldn’t get my legs under me. 

Gabriel bent down and scooped me into his arms – my wings making way for him. I was leaning against his chest and trying very hard to keep my mind focused on the present. He smelt like lavender…it was intoxicating. 

“We’ll see you in an hour,” Gabriel said before shooting straight up into the air. I gasped at the sudden exertion of energy and closed my eyes against the wind. When I opened them again, there was nothing but clouds around us, shooting towards the sun.


	14. I guess we better keep practicing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fly practice begins.

“Again!” Grabriel yelled. 

I was on my ass for the 800th time that day. My legs were crumpled underneath me, submerged in the sea of Emmett’s sweatpants. None of my clothes fit anymore obviously, so I had to make do with what I had access to. His wardrobe was the only one that covered me lengthwise. Unfortunately, we were far from a fit size wise. 

I ruffled through the leaves till I found the rubber band. I cuffed the sweats and folded them up till I could see my ankles – then I secured the whole mess the band. It wouldn’t hold for long but it bought me about fifteen minutes of uninterrupted fly practice. Hopefully, Alice would be back with my new clothes today. She had personally volunteered and told me that she would find something that was not only practical and fly friendly but that also “separated me from the other angels as a style icon.” I didn’t see the point of explaining to her that I was enough of an abnormality as is. 

I hopped up to my feet and mentally went through the steps that Gabriel had gone through. Back straight, arms by your side, pull up the shoulders, press feet into the ground and look up. I went through it methodically and my wings flapped once, lifting me an inch off the floor and then settled back at my side. The weight of my wings sent me crashing down onto my ass – if they weren’t so heavy, I might have been able to land on my feet. Gabriel had been incredibly patient – letting me know that this truly took time and that mastering the flying aspect was one of the most difficult parts of being an angel. But his patience looked to be waning – clearly my complete lack of know-how and the absolute absence of progress was becoming old quickly. 

I lay back and stared at the sky through the trees, letting out a sigh. The sun was barely visible through the fog, which apparently made for perfect fly practice since it would be much more difficult to spot us and we wouldn’t have to waste energy on drawing the invisibility shield – the one thing that I had no problem doing. 

As soon as the first rays of sunlight had hit me two days ago, I had felt strength enter my body. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was just energy – pure energy – entering through my skin, soaking into my body, down to the bones. The strength that it brought was astonishing – my body felt flexible and taut, like a weapon. But it wasn’t just that, I was mentally more aware with far more clarity. I felt a connection with the sun, with everything around me. I felt Gabriel watching me and I turned to meet his eyes and then I smiled. He smiled back and I knew he knew what I was experiencing. It was perfect – the most invigorating and cleansing thing. My pain and anxiety evaporated temporarily. There was only the moment, only the sunshine. There was only the feel of the rays dancing on my skin, sinking quickly into my bones, spreading across my wings – till I could finally feel the sun shining within. 

The sun really did feed me.

Once we started heading back to the Cullens’, Gabriel had turned us both invisible. It had been a disconcerting few minutes – suddenly there was nothing below or around me, just empty space. He had kindly distracted me by explaining how the invisibility worked. There were tiny little diamond particles embedded into every angel’s wings and these diamonds were able to reflect the environment around us, making us seem invisible.

Since then, he had given me a crash course into how to tap into angel powers and then hone them. Although, the tapping had to happen before the honing. Two days in and still not much tapping.  
“Alright, we’ll take a little break,” Gabriel said leaning against a tree, tugging at his t-shirt uncomfortably. Gabriel had been invited to stay with us so that he could train me with more convenience and for protection. Edward’s only request – or demand, more like – was that he wear a t-shirt at all times. Gabriel had very grudgingly agreed. 

“Explain it to me again – I still don’t understand it. How am I supposed to tap into my powers if I don’t actually know what they are?”

“Apart from the abilities we all have – cloaking, strength, flying – angels have powers that are unique to each and every one of us. For instance, some angels have the ability to control the elements or large scale crowd manipulations. Some can shapeshift, while others can conjure fire or ice. In each generation, the angels that ascend have abilities that form which are particularly useful to combat the problems of the time. Every angel in each generation has a different ability compared to their comrades. Angels are strong individually but it is clear that our kind was created to work in teams, together – that is when we are truly invincible.”

“So how do you find out which angel has what power?”

“We simply test them. There is a training centre of sorts in Heim –“

“Heim?”

“It’s what we call our home.”

“Ah, okay.”

“So the training centre there is equipped with different simulators and body scanners to help each angel figure out what they carry. Essentially, they’re able to test themselves and figure out what they have in a safe environment. If we had gone to see the council, you would have been allowed to use the centre as well,” he said pointedly.

“I see.”

“I hope you do because your refusal to set foot into Heim means that we are going to have to do this the hard way – with far less technology and far more danger of exposure.”

I rolled my eyes at him and stretched on the forest floor – my wings stretching along with me, coming up at the sides. They were beautiful – mostly white with flecks of deep blues and greens with flecks of gold. The colour had only come in after my exposure to sunlight. I was surprised by how much I loved having them – it was almost like having a safety blanket on me at all times. They made me feel safe...and I’d feel even safer as soon as I learnt to use them. 

“The strength and the combat abilities are easy to tap into once you learn how to utilize your wings. Your wings know what to do, they know how to fly. All you have to do is to let go and allow them to take control.”

I had heard all this before – but the instructions weren’t any clearer with the repetition. I didn’t know how to let my wings take over – it seemed like something that required me to be fully in control of, like driving a car. 

“Okay,” I said simply. “I’ll keep trying.”

“Please, do. It will help if the council sees that you are training hard and trying to gain control of your powers. They may be more inclined to compromise with you then. If they see no progress – they may demand you come to Heim so as to limit the possibility of exposure.”

I groaned in annoyance as I got to my feet, dusting off the sweats and re-tying them. The council seemed to be like a giant watchdog. It was as if the angels couldn’t take two steps without them. However, I had a feeling that Gabriel had a huge sense of loyalty to the council and would not look kindly upon negative comments about them, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. 

I could hear a car coming down the Cullens’ driveway in the distance – thanks to the vamp hearing. My body had still retained all naturally occurring senses of a vampires. Apparently, angels didn’t have supersonic hearing. 

I turned back to tell Gabriel when I noticed that his eyes had glassed over somewhat – something that happened whenever he was doing his telepathic angel communication thing. I sat down on a tree stump and proceeded to wait patiently. 

It didn’t take very long. A short while later, he blinked and looked at me. “Alice is home. She’ll have my clothes and I would really like to wear something that fits. I think we should head back. What was that about anyway?” I asked pointing at his head. 

“It was the council.”

“Oh. Have they decided upon a date?”

“Yes. Far sooner than I expected.”

“How much sooner,” I asked, concerned. “Next week?”

“No, tomorrow morning.”

I paused for a moment, staring at him in surprise. “Well then. I guess we better keep practicing.”


	15. They don't like us, do they?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caylie gets ready to meet the Council.

“Put this on. Okay – wait. No, your shoulders are pulling it wrong. Try it with this. Uh huh…better – but I think we can do more. Try it with the light wash denim – very stretchy, don’t worry. I’m not going to put you in anything that you can barely sit in.” 

Alice was buzzing around my bathroom. She had laid out every tool and make-up product I had ever seen in every YouTube beauty video and then some new ones that probably weren’t even on the market yet. I was sitting on a stool in front of the vanity. Unfortunately, the usual grey suede high chair did not accommodate my wings. 

Behind me, I could see the huge rack of clothes in the mirror’s reflection. When she had thrown open the trunk of her giant SUV open, my hands had flown over my mouth in horror. It looked like the woman had robbed an entire department store. I had been expecting a few new pairs of jeans, leggings and maybe some shorts with a few tops. In dismay, I asked her how much money she had spent. She had rolled her eyes in response – as if I was the illogical and over-the-top one. 

Her excitement and fervor had accosted me from Gabriel and sent me speeding up the stairs to where we now sat. I hadn’t even broken the news of the council’s arrival. Though I knew Gabriel would take care of that. 

Alice had already made me try on skirts and shorts and dresses that were more loops of strings than anything else. When I pointed this out to her, she argued that the strings were actually a good thing because they would accommodate the wings much better.

I had stared at her in response. In return, she asked me if I was going to cut holes in every top I owned. 

“Okay, part your lips a little, like this,” Alice said forming an ‘O’ with her mouth. 

I started to do it then realized what was happening. “Hey!” I said jerking my head back. “I don’t need that stuff. You know I much prefer being make-up free.”

“I know. But your wings are so pretty with all the extra colour and I thought it would be beautiful to have your eyelids and your lips watch your wings. It could be a real look.”

“Alice – I love you. But I feel uncomfortable enough as is. I really don’t want to draw more attention to myself then absolutely necessary. I would like to hold on to who I am for as long as I can.”

She looked at me for a beat and then put the lip wand away. “Cay, you are still you. Just different. Changes are part of life – regardless of what species you belong to. Sometimes the changes are big and sometimes they are small. This just happens to be a big one. But I promise you, you will adapt.”

“Thanks Alice.”

“Anytime. Now – come here, I want to play dress up.”

“Urgh. Aliiiiiiiiiice.”

“No complaining. I am sacrificing my make-up artwork for you, you will sacrifice and try on everything I tell you to. Deal?”

I sighed and stood. “Deal.”  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

An hour later, I had been plucked, powdered and polished to perfection. Though I had fought vehemently on every product that had come near my face – Alice had convinced me to get the basics right. So my eyebrows and my skin looked as good as could be without the all of Sephora sitting on my face. 

Alice and I had compromised and decided upon a white crop top with an open back that allowed my wings plenty of mobility. She had insisted on a pair of jeans with distressed detailing to make me more fashion-forward, ignoring all my pleas to just have regular jeans. In the end she got her way with the style and I got my way with the colour: light wash wins! I took a moment to enjoy the victory, it wasn’t often than anyone won against Alice. Plus, seeing that I was to meet the council tonight, it might be best for my self-esteem to hold on to any small triumph that came my way. 

It was still dark out. There was still another hour till the sun cleared the horizon. The living area was mostly empty. I wondered where Gabriel was and temporarily thought about contacting him with our angel mind voodoo powers but then decided against it. It felt like a really intimate thing to do – I didn’t want to cross any boundaries I hadn’t even been invited to break. 

The kitchen was spotless as usual. I wondered idly if there was anything to eat. There were some bananas and a brand new jar of peanut butter. I peeled then dunked the banana in the jar – eating far more peanut butter than banana. I silently thanked the powers that be for allowing me to continue enjoying the taste of food. “Sooooo good,” I mumbled to myself. 

I looked up, hearing footsteps. Edward had walked in – looking a little worn out. Still, he offered a small smile. I would have returned one if it wasn’t for the fact that my mouth was full of food. 

“How’re you holding up?”

I chewed slowly and downed a cup of water to get the sticky mixture down my throat. 

“I don’t know…okay, I guess.”

“Is there anything you want to talk about?”

“Uh…not really.”

“Alright, if you do have anything you need to discuss or get off your chest, you know where to find your mother and I. Just because things have changed doesn’t mean we’re going to stop being your parents.”

I looked at Edward in surprise. The man had never uttered such a long sentence to me in my life. He had always made it a point to have as minimal contact with me as possible. The last person I would go to with my problems – any of them – was Edward.

I smiled, nodded and shrugged my shoulders all at the same time and headed out the back door. I didn’t want to encourage the continuation of this conversation in any way. 

= You okay? – a voice in my head. =

= What? – I responded. =

= You seem a little ticked off. =

= You can read my moods? I thought this was purely a mind messaging thing. =

= It is. But if the connection between the two parties is stronger, sometimes moods and other things can filter through. =

= Our connection is strong? =

= Well, yes. Can’t you feel it? =

= Okay, Gabriel. This is a little weird for me. Can we skip the mood reading thing and just focus on the mind texting stuff? I don’t want to feel like I have no privacy in my own mind. =

= Of course…I apologize for the intrusion. =

= Smiley face. =

= What? =

= Oh – sorry. We can usually send little pictures in regular messaging. I just thought about sending you a smiley face. =

= What does smiley face mean? =

= It means I’m smiling at you. =

= Ah. Well, smiley face back then. =

I could picture Gabriel smiling back at me and giggled. He was learning a few things about my world and he wasn’t adapting all that badly. 

Walking out to the little clearing in the backyard, I took a few seconds to clear my head and looked up at the sky. I really had to get the hang of flying before the council arrived. There was no time to waste.   
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Cay,” I heard Nes call. 

I was still in the clearing. Practice had been abysmal in the first hour or so but things had improved significantly in the last thirty minutes and I was feeling a lot more confident. 

“Coming,” I said. I walked the 200-metres from the clearing to the back door and re-entered the house. I took the stairs two-at-a-time and walked to Nessie’s room at the end of the hall. 

“Hey, Nes. What’s up,” I said flopping down on her bed. 

“Hey, kid. What were you doing out there?” She was wrapped in her towel and distractedly flipping through all her clothes. 

“Fly practice.”

Nes turned to look at me, grinning. “Fly practice, huh? Oh how times have changed – Hey! You’re filthy. Get off my bed!”

“What?”

She ran over and yanked me off. “Shower, Cay. You look like a dirty, snot-nosed toddler.”

“Wow, that’s rude.”

I caught sight of myself in the mirror and grimaced. I was dirty. Alice was going to kill me for messing up her outfit. Nes had always been a germophobe – despite the fact that germs had zero effect on her because of the vamp DNA that made her virtually immortal. Of course, the rationale was lost on her.

“I hope Alice doesn’t see you. She’ll literally kill you. Literally.”

“Shhhh. If you keep saying her name she’s going to appear.”

There was a knock at the door then. “Why would I be killing anyone?” Alice asked from the other side of the door. “Open up, please.”

Nes laughed at my expression and gleefully ran to get the door.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One hour and a severe tongue lashing later, I was clean and ready to go. I was wearing another pair of super stretch jeans and a very low-backed emerald halter that allowed maximum mobility of my wings. Esme was arranging food and drinks on the table out of propriety more than anything else and Carlisle, Edward, Jake and Sam were in a corner muttering among themselves. I caught the words “security”, “safety”, “question” and “vulnerability”. I would have listened a little harder but I was focusing all my energy on staying calm. 

Out of the window, I could see a little grey dot in the sky. It was moving quickly down to the house in a straight line. I could see the shape of his wings and the way the small feathers along the edge adjusted themselves to keep him in perfect balance. Gabriel’s speed picked up the closer he got to earth – it almost made me want to call out a warning. He dipped under the treeline and streaked to the front entrance – looking for all the world like a comet. At the last second, his wings swivelled forward, slowing him down instantly and allowing him to make the lightest of landings on the front stoop.

“Wow,” I breathed. I had to learn how to do that. Had to. 

“Please, prepare yourselves. They will be here in less than 5-minutes,” Gabriel said quietly. 

“Wow,” I said again.

“They? How many are coming?” Jake questioned.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

They came down from the sky together. Five angels who had none of Gabriel’s charms, looks or manners. They landed on soft earth at the same time and immediately fixed us with looks of revulsion. 

Their disapproval of us was palpable.

There was no hearty welcome, no handshakes. No smiles or nods. Nothing. They kept silent. I glanced at Gabriel, wondering if he knew what to make of it. He had that blank look on his face – the one he got when he was mind texting. 

“What’s happening?” Nes murmured from somewhere behind me. 

“They’re talking.”

“Telepathically?”

“Yeeeep.”

“They don’t like us, do they?”

“They definitely don’t,” Jake said. 

“Do you think this is the only way they communicate?” Sam asked. 

“Looks like it. Makes sense though, if you’re so used to speaking mentally, I supposed the physical need of talking becomes almost unnecessary,” Mom said.

“That’s sad. How do you express emotion that way?” Nes again.

“Edward, is there any way you can read their minds? I have a feeling that knowing what they’re talking about will be extremely advantageous to us,” Carlisle said.

“Not to mention keep us a few steps ahead,” Esme murmured. 

“I’m – I’m trying. I can almost see it but not quite…maybe with a little more practice?” Edward said with a look of intense concentration on his face. 

Gabriel cleared his throat nervously, getting out attention. “They want chairs.”

“There are chairs in the house. They are welcome to come in and take a seat,” Carlisle said. 

“They don’t want to step foot inside.”

“Why not?” Esme asked. 

“They just don’t.” 

“That’s ridiculous. Are we supposed to stand here all day and have you translate for us back and forth?”

There was a crunch of leaves – the angel on the extreme left had taken a step forward. He was the shortest one among all of them. A highly misleading observation since he was at least 3-inches taller than I was. He had closely cropped red hair with wings that were as pale red as could be without being pink. In fact, all their wings were extremely pale versions of each colour. 

“We are not used to using our mouths to speak. We try to avoid such demeaning methods. But for you – we shall make an exception,” he said addressing Esme directly and enunciating each word clearly. For someone who thought using it was despicable, he had a lovely voice – as smooth as silk and rich as honey. 

“Why thank you,” Esme responded with a hard edge to her voice. 

“You are welcome. We do not wish to enter your home. You are lesser beings and we make it a point not to associate with anything that lacks intelligence and grace that is equal to our own.”

Silence followed his words. A loud one. I didn’t bother to look but I knew that my family and the wolves would have the same dumbfounded expressions on their faces. We had just been insulted twice in our home.

“Grace, my ass,” Nes said breaking the angry silence. On the right, Gabriel was shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. 

“No matter, if you don’t wish to fetch your chairs for us, we can procure some of our own,” said the rude red-haired angel.

He turned to look at the dark-skinned angel standing second from the right. He waved his hands at the trees and the branches of the surrounding trees grew quickly, merging and coming down quickly, weaving and twisting till they formed five seats made of and supported by the trees. The five of them sat themselves down with an air of great authority.

The red-haired angel brushed off an invisible speck of dust and then looked up at us watching him. “Shall we begin?”


	16. Stay out of my head, please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A heated conversation takes place between the angels, and the Cullens and the wolves.

“My name is Talahzar,” said the red-haired angel. “This is Artiri, Solomon, Balerian and Nix,” he introduced, pointing down the line. “We are advisors on the council and we are here to negotiate to see if we can agree on…terms.”

“Why do you refuse to come to Heim?” Balerian asked. He was the dark-skinned angel with the amazing tree-into-chair powers. 

“Jumping right in, huh?” I heard Jacob mumble. 

The question was obviously addressed at me but I seemed to have forgotten how to speak. These beings in front of me represented an ancient species that I was a part of. I hadn’t expected to be quite so much at a loss for words. Having met Gabriel, I hadn’t even thought of that possibility of feeling uncomfortable around other angels. But I was and I didn’t have time to ponder why. 

Taking as discreet a gulp as possible, I stepped forward and answered his question. “Heim is not my home. It is not a place that I’ve ever heard of until just one week ago. I was raised here and this is my family. Here I am safe and loved and taken care of. I don’t see the need to go to a place where no one will have my best interests at heart.” I had been intending to sound tactful but their treatment of my family had changed my mind.

“You are an angel. That makes Heim your home, your true home. To make it seem any less is a disgrace,” said Solomon. He had an intense face, with big dark eyes that I could feel boring into me even with all that space between us. He had waist length hair the colour and texture of corn silk – straight and soft. I wanted to run my hand through it or ask about the conditioner he used. He and Edward would probably get along great. 

“I think the disgrace is my abandonment at the hands of my biological parents.”

There was a terse silence. Nes slipped her hand into mine and squeezed it. 

“Your abandonment was unfortunate. But at least you know now what you are.”

“Yes. After 18-years and a lot of confusion on everyone’s part. It isn’t fun – being different among the supernatural beings. Makes one wonder if they’ll ever find a place they fit in.”

“You appear to be weak. Angels do not worry about the internal struggles. We put them aside and focus on serving the whole – service before self.”

“And where was this service when I was abandoned by one of yours?”

“I believe you mean one of ours. Perhaps your wings should be pinned to your front as a reminder of your true heritage, Micah,” said Talahzar.

I could feel the stiffening across the clearing – no one was happy about the way they were speaking to me. 

= Gabriel. Can you communicate for them? They are incredibly rude and it’s starting to agitate everyone. =

= I’m far beneath the council. It is not my place to offer my services. They command, I – =

= You serve, yes. They made that clear. =

Silence. It was just me and the thoughts in my head again. 

“Council. I’ve been guiding Caylie with tapping into her angel powers. Spending so much time around her and her family and friends has shown me that all they want is for her to be kept safe and given all the support she needs to be as strong as she can be. So perhaps, a good point to start with may be your terms.”

“Are you commanding us, Gabriel?” Balerian asked. 

“No, of course not, Councillor Balerian. I was merely trying to help bridge the communication –“

“You think we have difficulty communicating with them? That you are somehow better at it? Perhaps, Gabriel, spending all this time with them hasn’t been the best decision. You seem to have become somewhat attached. That is far from ideal. We will rotate you out with another Messenger.” 

What – Gabriel was my teacher. I didn’t want to be taught by anyone else. I looked at him hopefully. He had once said we shared a deeper connection than most, I was sure he would ask to stay.

“Yes, Councillor Balerian.”

= What?! Are you serious? You’re just going to go? Just going to up and leave? We haven’t finished my training. I’m not about to let some other angel who thinks I’m a menace to your kind, train me. =

= Caylie. It is how things are done. I have to oblige. I cannot defy the council. =

= Then stick up for me, for us! You’ve been around. You’ve seen how hard things are for all of us. The adapting – the learning. We’re willing to make things work. But you’re going to have to meet us halfway. =

= No, Caylie. It is done. The council doesn’t make decisions lightly. We should stop now. They know we are speaking. =

I turned to look at the council. They were staring intently at me. If Gabriel wasn’t going to speak up, then I would. 

“I would like to request to continue with Gabriel. He has taught me the basic functions of my wings – no easy feat since I only saw the existence of them a week ago. He is aware of the powers that I have from my vampirism and we’ve already eliminated the abilities that I simply show no aptitude for. To switch him out for someone else now might not be the best strategy. Plus, how many of your kind do you actually want to expose to us lesser beings,” I asked, my voicing grating over the last two words. 

Talazhar leaned back a little, looking surprised at my words. “The child makes a fair point,” he said. I tried not to snort at the word ‘child.’ 

“Alright. For the time being, Gabriel will stay,” Balerain said. 

Gabriel nodded. 

= You shouldn’t have done that – = Gabriel’s voice in my head. 

= Why not? It worked didn’t it. =

= This isn’t the full council, Caylie. Solomon is making meticulous notes and relaying it back to the council as we speak. Your opinions will be deemed troublesome and exasperating. They do not take kindly to those who flout their authority. It has not been done for millennia. =

= Well, the rules are a little different with me. I am not 100% angel. =

= Which will be your undoing. Tread lightly, they are looking for a weakness. =

“Well, Micah. Your upbringing seems a little lacking. And though the angel in you does seem strong, the vampire side is also rather prominent. Do you find yourself preferring one set of abilities to the other?” Artiri spoke for the first time. He was the only bald angel with jet black wings that seemed to have the minimal amount of feathers. He was rather small-statured, shorter than I was by a good 3 inches and slender. Something about his manner or the insincere set of his eyes struck me the wrong way because I instantly didn’t like him. 

“No. I do not prefer one to the other. To be honest, I find them to be quite complementary.”

“She had a highly developed sense of hearing and smell. She can also survive on blood and should it ever be difficult to fly, she can tap into the vampire super speed,” said Gabriel.

“That is quite a collection of gifts,” said Talahzar.

“And that’s not even including the one that we have yet to uncover,” Artiri said with a smirk on his face. 

The other angels nodded their agreement. Carlisle stepped forward to where I stood and addressed them: “Yes, her gifts are unique. With time, you may be able to gather a better understanding of them. But that is not why we are gathered here today. We are also not here to seek your permission to have my granddaughter continue to stay with us. We simply want to know if we can reach a compromise. Gabriel has already helped her gain some control of the wings. Will she be able to continue her training here with him?”

There was a silence from the angels. They sat there silently – some looking over Carlisle’s head and others looking at Gabriel – clearly communicating telepathically. 

Minutes passed. Carlisle cleared his throat. I could tell he was getting frustrated. An emotion that I had never seen him give in to. 

I could hear Gabriel walking towards us. He stood in front of Carlisle and me, facing us, the rest of the family and Jake and Sam. 

“The angels want to be clear about this meeting. They are here to discuss angel matters with fellow angels. They do not deign to speak with other species and would in fact prefer that the rest of you leave. They would also prefer that Cay – Micah comes to Heim so we can further her training. There have been some developments at home and they do affect her.”

My body turned hot. Gabriel had just contributed to the number of insults that had been thrown at my family by a species that considered themselves to be superior but had none of the manners that the Cullens portrayed.

Also, the asshat had called me Micah.

Carlisle stepped to the right, bringing the council back into his view. “That is enough. You will not come into my home and demean my family. Kindly, get off my property.” He turned to look at Gabriel, “that goes for you too.” Then taking mine and Esme’s hand, we walked back into the house together. 

= I suggest you stay, child. You will only make things worse for yourself – = the new slimy voice in my head belonged to Artitri, making me cringe. I did not want to give that man any extra access to me. 

= Stay out of my head, please. =

= Very well. You have been warned. = 

Then silence.


	17. It's our family's thing

The silence was angry and palpable. Every so often, someone would huff and mumble something under their breath. Vampires tend to be far more still compared to the average human so the Cullens were statues of rage while both and Jake and Sam had phased into their wolf bodies to run off the aggression and aggravation they were feeling. I had seen them storm out the backdoor saying that they would be right back. That had been about 20-minutes ago. 

The bottom half of my wings were resting against the floor. I was sitting cross-legged, staring out the huge floor to ceiling windows and reminiscing about my life before all this had happened. I missed the simple daily routine of skipping school and climbing up my cliff to get a bit of sun…huh, I guess my angel side was a little evident back then too.

“Cay. What do you think will happen?” Nes asked as she plopped down next to me. She had switched out her slightly more formal shirt for an oversized white turtleneck sweater. 

I pulled at the material of her sweater, feeling the softness between my fingers. “I don’t know but I doubt it’ll be good. Artiri basically threatened me before they left.”

“He did?” Carlisle asked.

Damnit. Stupid vamp hearing. How was anyone supposed to have a private conversation around here. 

“Yeah,” I said a little louder as Carlisle emerged from his office. 

“Caylie we need to know everything. Everything. As much information as you can give us so that we can be better prepared. We have to protect ourselves and the wolves and this town,” Carlisle said.

“I was going to – I just, I didn’t want to add any more trouble –“

“You’re not adding trouble. No one thinks of this like that. We are your family and we’re all doing this together for you and for us. We want to keep our family together. That’s the goal here. Okay? So you need to stop thinking about yourself as trouble – because you’re the only one thinking that,” Carlisle finished. 

I got off the floor and leaned against the window, surveying the room and everyone in it. I felt a small prick of love and appreciation that I had never allowed myself to feel before. I was always too afraid of becoming too attached to them, fearing that I may have to leave one day. But their solidarity and concern for me was becoming more evident with each day that passed with us being immersed in this new supernatural world that had expanded significantly. 

I exhaled a long breath and focused hard on not tearing up. “Okay,” I said softly before launching into all that had transpired telepathically between me, Gabriel and Artiri. 

“Gabriel thinks they’re looking for a weakness?” Jake asked.

“Yeah. He said that Solomon – the angel sitting in the middle – was carefully relaying everything back to the council the whole time.”

“Sound familiar?” Jasper murmured.

“Yeap,” Nes said.

Nes had once been the primary subject of a Volturi led witch-hunt that brought them to our home. Even after seeing that Nes was not an immortal child, they had tried to find any reason, any at all, to launch an attack against the Cullens. The existence of such a large coven with so many friends readily and easily reachable was a huge threat to the Volturi and the real reason why they had come such a long way.

“Bella and I are going to hunt. Does anyone else want to come?” Edward asked. 

The rest of my family nodded their agreement and started heading for the door. “Will you be okay, Cay?” Mom asked, reaching out to touch my face. 

“Yeah, I’m just going to practice flying – maybe see if I can catch some sun.”

Mom smiled. “The sun…makes so much sense now.”

“What does?”

“You always preferred to be out than in. I used to tell Edward that if we built you a bedroom without a roof, you would love it. Either that or let you sleep outside.”

I smiled at her. “Did you ever let me?” 

“No, I always thought it was too dangerous – I didn’t want the possibility of a repeat episode with the Volturi. But Edward did a few times. He’d take this huge sleeping bag that he basically stole from Emmett and sneak you out and the two of you would lie out in it under the sky till the sun rose. I always knew when he did it but I loved watching the two of you so I never bothered stopping him,” Mom said reminiscing in a memory that I had no recollection of. 

“I wish I remember that,” I said, surprising myself with how wistful I felt. 

Mom leaned in and gave me a tight hug. “We are proud of you, you know. The way you’re handling all this. I would have walked myself right over to the psych ward if it was me.”

I laughed. “No you wouldn’t have! You’re a human who had a vampire baby and then died and was resuscitated by her vampire husband. If that didn’t put you into psych, nothing will.”

“Fair point,” Mom said grinning. “We’ll get through this – somehow. We always do. It’s our family’s thing. We survive.” She turned and left, leaving me feeling fuller than I had in weeks.


	18. How exciting - I get to be a lab rat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caylie makes a decision.

Okay. Let’s try this again. Shoulders back, arms by my side, look up at the sky and – 

Whoooosh. Something landed hard behind me at great speed.

I spun around, almost twisting my neck off in my haste to see what it was. It was a whom – Gabriel. 

“What’re you doing back here? Carlisle told you to go. And won’t your angel masters be upset about this? Pretty sure you’re breaking a million rules right now,” I turned away from him and walked a distance away. I couldn’t even bring myself to look at him. 

I heard his wings move slightly. “Look, Caylie. I have to do certain things to keep them off my back. They are very particular about how things are done. Everything has a way – everything has a protocol. You don’t maintain silence and secrecy by allowing things to happen whenever and wherever. They are done a certain way for a reason,” I heard him march in my direction, then strong hands on my shoulders and he spun me around. “You need to be careful. Really, really careful. They are calling you an aberration.”

“What.” The word shocked me. It was how I had often thought of myself when I was growing up. Too abnormal for normie society and not quite normal enough for supernatural society. Still, those words had never been thrown at me, not even suggested. But here I was, hearing it from my own kind for the first time. 

“Your vampire side is far too volatile for their liking. They don’t like the strength of your individuality. And because Carlisle exhibited it so strongly himself, they have deemed it a vampiric trait and are planning the best strategy forward.”

“Forward? Forward to what?”

“To what to do with you,” he said urgently. He was looking straight down into my eyes, hands still holding me in place. “Balerian wants you in Heim so that you can be studied and tested.”

“How exciting. I get to be a lab rat. What’s option number two?”

“Artiri – “

“Urgh. I don’t like him one bit. He’s vile.”

“Yes, well. You might have reason. He’s the one that things you’re far too abnormal – far too dangerous to be kept around. He believes the best way forward with the survival of our species is to dispose of you altogether. Unfortunately, Artiri has the king’s ear –“

“King? You have a king?”

“Well, yes,” said Gabriel. “Have I not mentioned this before? That’s who the council ultimately serves.”

“I thought the council was set up to ensure the continuation and protection of your people.”

“Yes. They make the decisions most of the time. The king only intervenes when the council can’t agree on something. Historically, the kings have almost never intervened with council matters. They usually spend their time with their wife and children and are generally left alone.”

“Then why have a king?”

“It’s just the way – “

“Things are done. Yeah, yeah I know.” I shrugged his hands off my shoulders and gently flew up into one of the branches of the trees. Sitting up there made me feel better.

“Your flying has gotten much better. That took a lot of control. Well done, Caylie.”

“Why can’t they just leave me alone? What harm am I doing them?”

“There are too many unknowns,” Gabriel said, floating in mid-air in front of me, his wings moving every now and then to hold him steady. The muscles in his chest and arms tensed every now and then – distracting me. I focused my attention on the sky instead.

“If these unknowns become knowns, will they leave me alone?”

“Possibly. Balerian seems genuinely curious about you. He believes that new things are good for all of us – help us grow, perhaps educate us in new ways. Artiri is a threat. I’ve heard rumours that he’s next in line for the crown and anything new and untested may be viewed as a hazard.”

“The king is always chosen from the council?”

“Yes. They have to serve for at least seven millennia to be considered. That’s probably why most of them stay out of council matters once elected. They’re tired.”

“I have the feeling Artiri won’t be the same.”

“You’re probably right.”

“My head hurts. I can’t process all this.”

“I’m sorry but you need to know. At this point, you have to think about more than just your family and yourself. An angelic army won’t be kind to your town. They will perish whatever and whomever they need to.”

“What. Even my family and the wolves? What about the townspeople? They can’t blindly attack normies. That’s crazy” My voice rose quickly and I was soon breathless. The meeting couldn’t have gone that badly – there was no need for any of this. It was all unravelling far too quickly. 

“They will do what it takes, Cay. That’s how it’s always been. Angels are sewn into the fabric of the universe. We are part of the infinity of time. We have continued to grow and evolve as dominant species after dominant species is perished from this planet. Trust me, when I say this: we know how to survive and we are willing to do whatever it takes.”

It was the second time that day I had heard about survival. This time it didn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

“When do you think they will be sent?”

“The army? Soon. Unless Balerian manages to convince the King that you can be reasoned with to come to Heim.”

“Will entering Heim make a huge difference?”

“Yes. Of course. It shows a leap of faith – that you’re willing to compromise. But there is no time to waste. We must go now.”

I took a deep breath and thought about my options for a moment. “Do you think I will come to any harm in Heim?”

“Of course not. No one knows of its existence except angels. Not even our mortal enemy – “

I shook my head at him, wanting to stay on point. “No. Let me re-phrase. Will any of the angels there harm me if I were to enter Heim?”

A strange look passed over Gabriel’s face. “No…no harm will befall you. I won’t allow it.”

I rolled my eyes. “You just went on and on and on about how an army is about to come down and extinguish me and the people and town I love. I find it hard to believe that no one is going to off me the moment they find a chance.”

“Off you?”

“Kill me.”

“You don’t understand, bloodshed of any kind is not permitted in Heim. We aim, always, to keep the sanctity and purity of the place.”

“I see.”

“Yes, especially the harming or killing of one angel by another. It’s simply not done.”

“Alright. Will you be able to protect me?”

“Yes – I will do everything I can.”

“What if it isn’t enough?”

Gabriel landed on the branch. He bent down, placing his hands on either side of my face. His grey eyes stared into mine – eyes that had changed and were now a light brown.   
He spoke quietly and firmly, “I will protect you. Even if it means defying the council, I will ensure that you will be able to enter and leave safely. You have my word.” Then he pressed his lips to my forehead. Warmth spread from his lips where they touched me to every inch of my body. My eyes stayed closed even after he moved away.

I slowly opened my eyes, breathing a little more heavily. ” We held eye contact for a while, I trying to figure out if I could really put all my faith in him. I had no idea what he was looking for.   
I sighed. Ultimately, I didn’t have much choice. I wasn’t going to let anyone harm my family, friends or this town. “I need to go home for a minute. Then you’re taking me to Heim.”

Gabriel took my hand and together we flew back to the house in silence.


	19. Something worth holding on to

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caylie leaves her family in despair

We landed on the roof, I immediately let go of Gabriel’s hand and jumped down into the attic. “Meet you downstairs,” I called back. “I just need to pack some stuff.” I didn’t wait for a response.

My wings folded themselves tight to my back, aware that the doorways were a little small. I marvelled at their beauty and intelligence yet again. I was still not altogether happy to be part angel – but the wings, oh the wings were something else. 

I entered my room, closing and locking the door behind me. Then I drew the curtains shut and turned the tap on and left it running. As far as I knew, an ange’s hearing wasn’t as strong as a vampire’s or a wolf’s – but I didn’t want to take any chances. 

I sat down at my table, grabbed a sheaf of paper and started writing.

“Ready to go?” Gabriel asked as I came down the stairs.

“Yeap.”

“You were up there for quite a while.”

“Yeah, I needed a shower. And I couldn’t decide what to pack – Alice bought so many things and it seemed a shame to leave most of them behind,” I said as I tossed the large brown leather duffel bag on the chair. It had once belonged to Jasper but I was sure he wouldn’t mind me taking it.

“Are you sure about this?”

“About the bag? Yeah. It’s the only big enough to fit everything in.”

“No. About leaving. Are you sure?”

I paused and then said, “I’m not sure. I’m terrified. But I’m not going to let anything happen to this place and to my family. So if there’s anything I can do to prevent it, I will.”

Gabriel clenched his jaw and sighed. “I’m truly sorry, Caylie. I don’t know why it had to come to this. I wanted to keep you safe – and I know I’m not doing a good job of it. 

“It’s okay. I mean – we’re all new at this right? Pretty sure I’m the first vampire-angel you’ve met. Hmm…vangel. No wait, angpire. Nope. That just sounds like an STD,” I mumbled to myself.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just thinking out loud.”

I looked around the house, feeling a little off-centre. I realized with a start that there was a good chance I would not be here for a long time to come. If the person who was most open to keeping me around was Balerian – then I would have to comply to his wishes as much as possible. 

Making decisions had always been difficult for me but once I did make them, really make them, consciously make them, I followed through with every fibre of my being. And I had made mine – I was going to do whatever necessary to keep my family, friends and town safe – and myself too, of course. Perhaps spending some time with the angels would show them I was really just a harmless 18-year-old trying to figure out life and myself – just like every other 18-year-old on the planet. Highly unlikely, of course. But I could hope. 

“I just want to walk around one final time. I’ll meet you in the backyard?”

“Caylie…you’re not leaving forever. There is no need to commit your home to memory or to pack this ridiculously large suitcase. Most of the females in Heim simply wear bandages around their tops anyway. Once you’re there, you’ll be taught how to tie it on and all this material,” he said waving his hand at my outfit of jeans and low-backed tank top, “will be unnecessary.”

I stared at Gabriel for a second and then burst out laughing. “You can’t be serious. Nope, this material,” I said pointing at my clothes, “is very necessary. I like being covered and I don’t believe in giving away the farm. I am not wearing bandages. Ever. Now please, I’ll meet you outside.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes and turned away. I caught what I thought was a look of disappointment. But that couldn’t be… probably just my imagination. 

I ran a hand over everything as I walked. Traced the leather grain of the couch. Felt the granite top of the kitchen counter and dining table that only I and Nessie used. I looked at the home I had grown up in and the way it was held together by floor to ceiling windows. It really was a beautiful place to spend childhood in. I was luckier than most. 

I walked into Carlisle’s study and open the top drawer of his desk. In there, was the notebook of the moment – the one place that Carlisle would see almost immediately. I silently thanked the universe for his predictability while slipping the letter I had written into its pages. My scent would lead him right to it. As I was shutting the drawer, I noticed a picture on Carlisle’s desk of the entire family. It was a picture we had taken on Christmas about 4 years ago – before Charlie’s untimely death. He had gone to sleep a few months later and simply never woken up. We were all standing in the backyard, smiling widely. Charlie has his arms around Nessie and I and I could see Jake in the back, arms slung around Emmett and Jasper. Esme and Carlisle were standing behind Alice and Jasper, all of whom were somehow hugging each other. Rosalie and Mom were leaning against each other and laughing at something and Edward was the only one looking away from the camera. I realized he was looking at Nessie and I and smiling. The picture tugged at my heart. Instinctively, I took it out of the frame and slipped it into my back pocket. It was something worth holding on to.

I sat the picture frame down on a pile of envelopes – noticing that one was postmarked from New Delhi. I vaguely recalled Carlisle saying he was expecting some mail from a friend there. I pulled it out of the pile and surveyed it. It was a little heavier than the rest. I shrugged and sat it down square in the middle of his table – I knew it was important, though I didn’t know how. 

I slowly walked out to the backyard – my heart feeling heavier than usual, swallowing hard. I knew Carlisle would find his letter easily. I was worried that Nessie wouldn’t find hers. Hopefully, her sister intuition would kick in and she would know exactly where to go. Gabriel was waiting for me, my mammoth-sized bag in his left hand. “Ready?” he asked, holding out his hand to me. 

I touched the edge of the picture in my pocket while reaching for him with the other. “Ready,” then without much to-do, we headed for the sky.  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Jacob walked through the backdoor five minutes after Caylie’s departure. He called out but received no response. He started heading for the front door when he picked up on Caylie’s scent, the smell of ocean mixed with lavender – the same as Nessie’s hair. The scent was strong, which meant that he had just missed her.

“Caylie! Hey! Cay! You up there?” he called up the stairs. 

Must be flying, he thought to himself. He thought about going outdoors and calling out at the sky. The idea made him chuckle. 

“Jake!” Nes said as she ran into the house and launched herself into his arms. 

“Hey, baby. How was the hunting?”

“Excellent! I feel thoroughly refreshed. Now I won’t have to slice your carotid open while you sleep,” Nes teased, pecking him on the cheek. 

“You are a terrifying, terrifying woman.”

“Well, you wouldn’t have it any other way. The folks are almost here,” she said, heading to the backdoor. 

“Where’re you going?” Jake asked.

“To get Caylie,” Nessie said without looking back. “She said she’d be practicing flying.”

“She’s not out there. I just came in that way.”

“Oh. That’s strange. She must have made some progress if we can’t even see her.”

“Yeah, maybe she has her shield her up?”

“We would still be able to smell her though,” Nes said with a shrug.

“Not quite. The shield makes them completely undetectable – including smell. The only way to notice them with the shield is to literally walk into them. Which is hard to do since they can move upwards besides just moving left to right, front to back,” he said indicating the movements with his hands.

“Hmm… we really should be compiling this somewhere.”

“I believe abilities specific to Caylie can be found in the Carlisle diaries, volume 17.”

Nes laughed and chucked a tea towel at Jake. “Fair point. C’mon. Wait with me outside. She should be back soon.” Nes squealed as Jacob picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, laughing as they went.   
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Four hours later and the Cullens were getting worried.

“Where is she?” Bella asked urgently, pacing up and down.

“She’ll be okay, sweetheart,” Edward said gently, trying to comfort his wife. Also, he noted, if she didn’t stop pacing anytime soon, she was going to wear a hole in the floor.

“She’s my youngest and currently the most vulnerable,” Bella snapped at him. “So, I will worry.”

“Did she say where she was going?” Emmett asked. 

“Just that she would be outside, practicing the fly stuff,” Nes said as she walked through the door.

“Nothing?” Bella asked anxiously. 

“Nothing, mom. I’m sorry. We looked everywhere. Jake even went down to the reservation.”

“Couldn’t find her, Bells. Not a whiff. She must have headed skyward.”

“But for so long? She’s barely gotten the hang of her wings. I don’t think she can keep herself up for such an extended period of time. Do you think she crashed into a tree somewhere?” Bella asked, her eyebrows furrowed together. 

Emmett chortled. “I really wouldn’t be surprised.” Bella shot him a look full of venom and he hastily looked away.

“You know,” Jacab said, “I picked up on her scent in your study. It was pretty strong. It was like she had been there just before I got back.”

“I’ll go look,” Carlisle said, rising off the couch. The entire family followed after him.

The study was a little cramped with all the bodies that were trying to fit into it. 

“What’s that?” Esme asked pointing to the heavily stamped and dog-eared envelope loudly demanding attention in the middle of the desk. “It’s from New Delhi,” she added.

“Oh. I completely forgot about it. I asked a professor I once knew for a favour. I thought he had forgotten or was unable to make it happen but I guess he came through. I’d completely forgotten! Imagine that,” Carlisle said enthusiastically as he turned over the envelope in his hands. 

“Carlisle… Caylie?” Bella asked.

“Right! Well, she’s clearly been rummaging around in my desk drawer. But for the life of me, I can’t imagine why. He pulled out the black notebook that he was currently using and smelled that her hands had rather recently touched the pages. Flipping through it curiously, he found the letter that Caylie had tucked into it just four hours ago. As Carlisle read it, his eyes deepened with surprise and then sadness. 

Handing it to Edward he said, “Perhaps you should read it aloud.”

The room was dead silent – no pun intended – as Edward started reading:

Hi, Pop.

I’ve always wanted to call you that but your face never justified any reason why anyone should call you anything remotely similar to grandfather. But I suppose, I should take time to do so now.   
As I write this, Gabriel waits for me downstairs. Apparently, Artiri is very unhappy – I’m putting this very mildly – with my existence. He believes that I should be exterminated. He doesn’t think me safe to have around, I am too much of an unknown. 

The angels have an army. One that is great and powerful and that has aided with their continued existence and ensured their secrecy. Artiri plans to send this army to Forks. He wants to destroy us all and the town. He wants to remove any indication that we ever existed. 

There is some good news though, sort of. Balerian is very curious about me and my abilities. He wants to see what I can do and he thinks that evolution of any kind is something to be enthused about, as opposed to Artiri’s apoplectic ideals. 

By going to Heim – where I’ll be by the time you receive this – I will be able to show them that I am willing to be taught and trained. Hopefully, this show of faith will call the cavalry off and allow for more peaceful negotiations. 

I know this is the last thing you want – and that you're unhappy about this decision. But I did it because I want to – I will do anything I can to keep you guys safe. It is the smallest thanks I can offer after all these years you’ve spent looking after me. 

I do not intend to be gone forever and hopefully, I will get to see you sooner rather than later. I do hope you will convey the contents of this letter in a way that Mom and Esme and everyone else will be able to swallow easily. 

Hope to see you again soon, Pop. Send my love to everyone.  
-Caylie

Edward’s voice trailed off. The room seemed to throb with the contents of what had just been read. Esme covered her face with her hands and sank down onto the bench.

“That goddamn idiot,” Nes said before storming out of the office. 

“Nes,” Jacob called before running after her.

Bella looked at Edward, her mouth pressed into a thin line. “What…what do we do? We can’t even go after her.”

Edward did not respond, re-reading the letter.

“She must know, must be aware that they might kill her. She just walked into her death,” Esme said softly.

“No, please don’t say that. There must be something we can do, there’s always something we can do,” Bella said, her voice rising.

“Bella…we can’t fly,” Carlisle said gently. “She made her choice, we have to live with it. Perhaps she will come back…we must hope.”

“I need more then hope,” Bella said before leaving the house. She ran, not stopping till she got to the little cottage in the woods. There was a trunk full of baby clothes under the window in the hall. She pushed the lid open and pulled out a set tiny white footsie-pyjamas that had once belonged to Caylie. She felt the soft fabric in her hand, pressing her face against it, picking up on the last remnants of that lovely baby smell – remembering how precious and small that infant she had brought home had been. She had fallen in love with that baby the moment she had removed that leafy spherical lid all those years ago. Closing her eyes tight, Bella pressed her face into the pyjamas and cried.


	20. Sirens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans are made and several things come to light.

“There must be something we can do,” Rosalie said. “She is still so young – so ruled by heart and emotion. We must help her, bring her back, guide her. Is there anything we can do?”

Emmett reached out and pulled Rosalie into his lap, kissing her cheek softly. “Any ideas?” he asked the room in general. 

“Well, if her words are to be believed – “ Esme started. 

“Gabriel’s words. He was the one who relayed the messages after all,” Carlisle interjected, sitting down in the green leather Oxford swivel chair that had been gifted to him by a former patient. 

“Right, Gabriel’s words. If they are to be believed, then the army’s intention is to come here to destroy us and all the townspeople. We cannot let that happen… and I am not quite as naïve or as trusting as Caylie. I don’t expect them to keep their word. They have something to lose – their privacy. Which means that it’s only a matter of time before they take whatever measures necessary to keep themselves safe. Aeons of seclusion will breed nothing but selfishness and indifference. They will not care who they hurt.”

Esme walked over to the window. It was the only window in the room and the only one in the house through which Edward and Bella’s cottage could be seen “Edward…your mate needs you,” Esme said. 

She felt him leave at once. 

Taking a deep breath, Esme turned to face the five people left in the room. “I have an idea and it might sound crazy but we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

“Crazy is good,” Alice said.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nessie ran up the stairs, pacing her room furiously. Jacob sat at the edge of her bed, trying to calm her. 

“Ohhhh, she is a fool if I ever saw one,” Nes seethed. 

“Nes, she did what she thought was right. It’s hard to fault someone for that,” Jacob said gently. 

“It’s not that hard. I fault her. I fault her fully and thoroughly. I heard Esme and mom and Carlisle and Alice and Dad tell her that we will stand by her and get through this together. They opened their mouth and explicitly verbalized those thoughts and intentions. But no! She still chose to be a total cowboy about it. What does she think’s going to happen? That they’re gonna sit around some stupid winged campfire and kumbaya? This is the stupidest thing she’s ever done, which is really saying something because we are, after all, talking about Caylie!” Nes raged. 

“Baby – “

“No, Jake. She’s the baby. She’s the baby of the family – my little baby sister. And she left. Just up and left like she was going to the mall or something. And with just a note? A stupid cavalier note.”

“Yeah – I am surprised by the note,” Jake mumbled. “Not that she wrote one, but that she didn’t leave one for you.”

New swivelled around and looked at Jacob intently. “Of course…” she said to herself. 

“What?” Jacob said. There was silence as Nes stood stock still, looking at nothing and everything in particular. “Nes? Baby? You okay?” he asked, wondering if half-vampires could get strokes. 

“She would have left me a note. There is no way she wouldn’t have. There may be something that she wants me or us to do that she doesn’t want them to know or that she doesn’t want to – I dunno, something. But you’re absolutely right. She wouldn’t have left without leaving me something.”

“I’ll help you look,” Jacob said and together they started hunting around the room.  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“It’ll work,” Alice said definitively. She blinked a couple of times, clearing the future she had just seen and focusing her eyes back on her immediate environment. 

“All of it?” Rosalie asked urgently. 

“Not all of it – well I don’t know really. The angels are a blind spot…just like the wolves. But the Volturi will back us. As long as we can provide evidence and Esme does the talking. Marcus is going to be important here.”

“Evidence?” Emmett asked from across the room. 

“Yeah we need to show them that angels are real.”

“Should have taken a selfie with Caylie when we had the chance, huh?” Emmett said.

Alice rolled her eyes. “You forget that Aro can see every thought one has ever had.”

“Ah. Of course.”

“I’m not particularly excited about entangling with them again. The last time was almost the last time,” Carlisle emphasized. 

“And there are no witnesses now. No timeline. No idea of what is to come. This could all go south very quickly,” Jasper remarked.

A silence filled the room as each person got lost in their own thoughts. Carlisle wrote with a deep crease in his forehead. Esme, Emmett and Rosalie stared out the same window from different points around the room. Alice’s eyes were unfocused, pencil in hand and poised over paper. Jasper hovered behind her, ready to offer her any support if necessary. 

Minutes passed and finally, Carlisle moved, breaking the spell that had settled on the room. “We have no better plan – we must at least attempt this. If the army does come down, then we will need every soul we can get. The Volturi may be invested in helping us if our kind may be exposed. Also, they haven’t seen anything new since Nessie. This – this might get them to move again.”

“Alright then,” Jasper said. “We need to fine tune this – “

Alice gasped, all heads turned sharply to look at her. Jasper leaned over her, face etched in concern. “Nes just received some new information that may give us an upper hand.”

“What information?” Carlisle asked urgently while Esme barged out of the office and yelled for Nessie from the foot of the stairs. 

“We need everyone here,” Alice said, eyes still unfocused. 

“On it,” Emmett said, heading out the door. 

Jasper knelt down in front of Alice, placing both hands on the sides of her face. “Alice, it’s okay. We can continue this later. Come back to the present.” She simply shook her head, no. Jasper sighed, sitting next to her on the tiny loveseat, never taking his eyes off her.

Edward and Bella entered with Emmett and Sam just a Nessie and Jacob were coming down the stairs – a mixture of confusion and trepidation on their faces. 

“Out with it,” Esme said without any preamble. 

“Out with what?” Nessie asked a little too defensively. 

“With whatever it is you know that the rest of us don’t.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Alice saw you knowing something – it changed the outcome of what would happen in a very positive manner. Does that loosen the chains on your mouth somewhat?” Jasper asked her pointedly. 

“Damnit, Alice.”

“Watch your mouth, young lady,” Bella said sternly.

Nessie sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. “Okay. I’ll spill.” At those words, Alice’s eyes re-focused again.

“She left me a letter too – clearly a pointless act of privacy since she completely forgot about Alice.”

“Yeap, you always have to factor in Alice,” Bella said softly, her mind going back in time.

“Took us forever to find it,” Jacob murmured. 

“What did it say?” Edward asked not bothering to acknowledge Jacob’s comment. 

“She has some ideas. She doesn’t think that the angels are going to be kind enough to send away their army. She knows they will come down eventually. She acknowledged that her going to Heim won’t change what may happen here.”

“What. Then why did she even go?”

“She thinks – believes that going will help her realize her full capabilities.”

“Which will in turn allow her to help us. She knows we’re outnumbered and outmatched. Her goal is to tip the scales in our favour as much as possible,” Jacob finished. 

“So that’s the thing? Her realizing what she can do gives us a more positive result?” Rosalie asked Alice. Alice shook her head, no. 

“There was more,” Jacob said. 

“There are a few advantages that she thinks we have. One is that the angels don’t know that we have extra abilities on top of being vampires. They don’t know that Dad can read minds and Alice can predict the future.”

“Okay…but they have abilities too. I don’t think ours can stand up against them. Nothing we have is offensive,” Emmett said. 

“The Volturi do,” Esme said. 

“Yes but that’s not exactly true either. We haven’t had to really develop our abilities until something happens that calls for it, right? I mean, as far as we know – used to know, we were the most powerful beings on the planet, right?” Nes asked. Jacob cleared his throat and eyeballed her pointedly. 

“You guys and the wolves, you mean.”

Emmett, Jasper and Edward snickered at the same time. Jacob responded by flipping them off, making them snicker even louder. 

“Yes, Jake. But what I’m trying to say – what Caylie was trying to say is that perhaps we could develop the existing abilities more and learn to use them offensively. Like for instance, maybe Dad could train himself to sharpen his mind reading abilities so that he can read the minds of the angels. I mean, he can do that with the wolves, there’s no real reason why he shouldn’t be able to re-create that with the angels.”

“How am I to practice that? There are no angels around here anymore.”

“With Mom – as she is, with her shield drawn.”

Edward’s eyebrows shot up. “I know you couldn’t possibly know this but even when she was human and we had just met and before we started dating, I –“

“Please get to the point, Dad. The idea of you and Mom dating is just ICK.”

“The point is I couldn’t hear her mind even then. Ask Jacob.”

Nes graoned while Jacob suddenly found the floor very interesting. “I really pretend that that part didn’t exist. But – that’s exactly my point. Or her point, rather. That if you can break these ceilings and get so much better that you can read Mom’s mind even if she has her shield running, then maybe your abilities might work against angels.”

“I don’t know – it sounds quite far-fetched,” Edward responded.

“We don’t know for sure, actually. We don’t know anything at all. It stands to reason that supernatural beings have certain vulnerabilities. We are all immortal but that does not mean that we can’t be destroyed. The same should apply to the angels. I think what Caylie and Nes are driving at is the possibility of figuring it out and to use the element of surprise to our advantage. But to do so, we need to expand our abilities,” Carlisle interjected, looking at the rest of his family over interlocked fingers.

“Okay. Then what about the rest?” Emmett asked. 

“Well, she didn’t specify this but I supposed Alice could learn to predict the future without the blind spots – thought I honestly don’t know how. And perhaps Jasper could learn to do more than influence moods… maybe influence thoughts, ideas, opinions.”

“That’s a big jump, sweetie. It will be stressful for everyone,” Esme said gently. 

“I know and I know it’s going to be so so so hard but we have to try. We have to do everything we can… and theoretically, there’s no limit to our potential as vampires, right? Maybe it might actually work.”  
Nessie looked at her grandfather imploringly. He had his head bent, looking straight down at his desk – completely still. Then he looked up and waited till he had everyone’s attention.   
“I am going to have to agree with Nessie on this… we have to push ourselves. We need to test our limits – see what we’re truly capable of.”

Bella nodded slowly. “Yeah. We have to. I can see how far my shield can go… maybe I can even cover the whole house…”

“Actually, Mom… Caylie thought maybe you could cover the whole town.”

“What?!” 

“Yeah… she explicitly wrote that in her letter, Bells. I don’t know where she got that idea from but there’s always a chance…” Jake trailed off.

“Well, I guess I should be glad that my daughter has so much faith in me,” she said with a small smile. 

“Alright. So that’s one part of the plan – “ Carlisle said. 

“What are the other parts?” Bella asked confused. 

“Esme is going to speak to the Volturi. I will accompany her of course. We will need them and their abilities on this. And if we negotiate now and show our respect by talking to them first, they may also be more open to us approaching our friends and asking them for their help as well,” Carlisle said. “Perhaps Alice should come as well… Aro is always willing to listen so much more when she’s around.”

“I would much rather if she didn’t go,” Jasper said, reaching out for Alice’s hand. “He looks at her like she’s a trophy… he might decide the two of you are lying and decide to keep her there.”

“Perhaps… although I don’t see how he could possibly be interested in Alice after knowing that angels are real and part of the supernatural world,” Carlisle said before quickly adding, “no offence, Alice dear.”

“None taken,” Alice said cheerfully. “I look forward to the day when Aro gets excited by something other than me.”

“Okay… so we have to work on our abilities while you guys will go to Italy. When are you going?” Bella asked.

“A 7.15 flight tomorrow evening,” Esme responded.

“That’s quick.”

Bella looked at her daughter, noticing that she was chewing her lip, something she only did when her head was full of thoughts. “Was there more to the letter? Out with it.”

“Well, she said that she will communicate with us whenever she can.”

“How?” Edward, Carlisle and Esme asked at the same time.

Nessie reached into her back pocket and yanked out her phone. “Text – don’t think the angels know about this sweet piece of tech. All she’ll need to do is come down low enough to make sure she’s in range.”

“Huh. Guess I shouldn’t cancel her phone bill,” Edward muttered.

“Yeah best not to,” Nessie concurred. 

“We should get moving,” Bella said. 

“Yeah, and we,” Jake said pointing at Sam and himself, “need to update the tribes.”

“Before you all go, I asked an old friend to send me some photocopies of certain Sanskrit texts that may be relevant to our current situation. It was supposed to arrive weeks ago – but I don’t know enough Sanskrit to get through it all. Edward?” Carlisle asked, handing him an extremely large bound volume. 

“Christ,” Edward muttered under his breath. 

“You read Sanskrit, Dad?” Nessie asked dubiously.

“There was a lot of time to kill before I met you mother, Nes. Ancient languages were my thing in the early part of the 20th century.”

“You guys didn’t have parties, back then?”

Edward gave her a wry smile, “I wasn’t the partying type.”

“Big surprise,” Jacob said rolling his eyes. 

Edward took Bella’s hand and accidentally-on-purpose smacked Jacob’s head with the giant tome on his way out.

“Hey!”

“Whoops. My bad.”

The Cullens headed off to their rooms and quarters pondering what was to come. The thought that beings of immense power could come down at any moment to destroy everything and everyone they loved was horrifying. However, they were all determined to fight – whatever that may entail.   
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
A few hours later, after making love with his wife, Edward was speed reading through the Sanskrit texts. Much of it didn’t seem all that relevant to him. However, there was one word that kept coming up again and again. 

Bella came out of the steaming shower, a towel wrapped around her. She saw her husband reading and sighed. She had been hoping for a night full of nakedness. She walked over to him and dropped her towel. “Whoops. Mind picking that up for me?” she said seductively. 

Edward completely ignored her.

“Babe?”

Still nothing.

“Edward?”

He wasn’t moving a muscle, just staring at a page in the book that was apparently far more appealing that his wet and naked wife. 

“Hellooooooooooo. I’m naked here.”

Edward looked up, eyes wide with apprehension. “You look lovely, darling,” he said mechanically. 

Bella picked up the towel, wrapping it around herself. “Edward. What’s wrong?”

“There’s something strange here. I thought it was an anomaly but it keeps coming up. I’m not even halfway through and I’ve read it about eight times.”

Bella sat down next to him, staring at the book and seeing nothing but squiggles. “Tell me.”

“It talks about something that drains the life force of the people in the sky. They feed on them to survive. It’s their naturally enemy.”

“The angels’ natural enemy? Was that what attacked Caylie on the beach?”

“I don’t know… listen: without the life force of the angels, these beings will wither and if enough times passes, they will die. They live in the waters – bidding their time, searching the skies. The consumption of one angel can keep them alive for millennia.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, shit.”

“Is that why we were attacked… because we were at the beach? It came from the water?” 

“Perhaps.”

“Edward,” Bella said urgently, “we need to tell everyone. This changes things… again!”

“How does it though? I mean, yes we have another species to contend with but if they need angels to survive, then they must be near dead or all dead by now. Save for that one, of course. The angels haven’t come down to earth in so long. And for the life of me, I can’t imagine how you go about capturing one.”

“Yes, but there was that one. Maybe we could find it, reach out to it. Maybe it can help us. No supernatural being is unintelligent. There has to be something this species can offer, right? And we know where one of them is! Near the reservation. We have to act on this and quickly. The angels might not even be aware of this –“

“Gabriel must have already told them.”

“I doubt it – the boy has been very distracted by Caylie and her charms,” Bella said wryly. “Plus, if he had mentioned it to the council, there’s no way they would have come down to earth and risked being… eaten.”

“What?” Edward asked, his head whipping around so fast that all Bella saw was a blur. 

Bella sighed, knowing exactly what he was questioning. “You must have noticed. He’s completely into her.”

“Dear God,” Edward said, lowering his face into his palms. 

“And she definitely feels the same way.”

“Urgh,” Edward groaned.

“There, there sweetheart,” Bella said sympathetically while patting him on the shoulder. “She was bound to meet someone eventually.”

“I know that but it’s just – “

“Just what?”

“Why can’t one of my girls date a nice vampire boy.”

Bella’s lips twitched. “How…traditional of you.”

Edward glared at her. “Now I really don’t want to be able to break into an angel’s head. Bad enough hearing Jacob think.”

Bella giggled, pressing against him and cupping his chin with her hand. “We should be happy – love is a beautiful thing.” Edward sighed and kissed the top of her head. He turned his attention back to the book. 

“This does change things – but I still don’t know if it’s good or bad…” 

“Alice will tell us. What are they called anyway?” Bella asked getting up and stoking the fire. “These other beings?”

“The translation isn’t going to be exact.”

“What’s the closest?”

Edward mumbled under his breath, seemingly sounding out words until he finally stopped at one and said “Sirens.”  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
About a kilometre away in the main house, Alice’s eyes went blank as the future changed. She gasped, dropping the crystal vase of flowers she had been carrying up to the floor of the house she shared with Jasper. The glass shattered, scattering across the floor and falling off the edges of the steps. Water cascaded down, the freshly bloomed white lilies carried with it. 

Her arms were locked in place, as if she was still holding the vase. Eyes wide with horror and muscles tensed. “Oh… oh no,” Alice whispered.


End file.
